San Francisco, May 28 : The Major League Cricket (MLC) was granted official List-A status from the International Cricket Council (ICC) ahead of its second season, which commences on July 5.

The list A status, which comes after a successful inaugural season, recognises MLC as an official T20 league and America's 'rst world-class domestic tournament.

"Now, every century, half-century, ''ve-for', run-out, win, loss, and championship will be documented as official career statistics in an internationally recognised format of the game. This will also provide local US players and upcoming stars of the game the opportunity for international recognition, furthering the development of domestic talent by the MLC," MLC's official release read.

MLC is the first professional Twenty20 cricket championship in the United States.

"We saw cricket mania sweep across the US last year off the back of our inaugural season of Major League Cricket. Now, we take exciting momentum into the highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup and season two of the MLC. With an unforgettable summer of cricket on our doorstep, we're ready to capture the hearts of American sports fans with our thrilling, adrenaline-charged game that is the most exciting emerging T20 tournament across the globe," said MLC CEO, Vijay Srinivasan.

Exclusively sanctioned by USA Cricket, MLC showcases superstar players from around the globe, bringing world-class T20 cricket to America.

The inaugural season occurred in the summer of 2023 has featured six teams: Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and the Washington Freedom.

/IANS