---
type: story
title: "The IPL Alumni Who Made MLC Credible"
description: >
  When MLC launched in 2023, it needed immediate credibility. It got it the same way
  every new T20 league does — by signing players whose names fans already trusted.
  The players who bridged IPL to MLC tell the story of how the league earned its audience.
tags:
  - MLC
  - IPL
  - history
  - team
status: active
last_verified: 2026-06-25
timestamp: 2026-06-25
license: CC-BY-4.0
source_system: CricketStudio
source_boundary: derived_claims_only
canonical_page: https://okf.cricketstudio.ai/stories/ipl-alumni-who-built-mlc/
resource: https://okf.cricketstudio.ai/stories/ipl-alumni-who-built-mlc/
entity_id: cricketstudio:story:ipl-alumni-who-built-mlc
dataset_version: 2026-06-11
provenance:
  source: >
    CricketStudio MLC historical dataset (2023–2025). Player career histories
    from Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 and CricketStudio IPL dataset.
    All-time MLC leaderboard figures from CricketStudio MLC aggregation.
  confidence: high
  notes: >
    MLC career figures reflect 75 matches (Seasons 1–3) as of dataset 2026-06-11.
    For current Season 4 figures, see canonical CricketStudio pages.
related:
  - ../dossier/mlc-player-pool-growth.md
  - ../dossier/mlc-franchises.md
  - ../dossier/mlc-faf-du-plessis-all-time.md
  - ../scorebook/players/faf-du-plessis.md
  - ../scorebook/players/pat-cummins.md
  - ../scorebook/players/trent-boult.md
---

# The IPL Alumni Who Made MLC Credible

## The Question Nobody Asked

A new cricket league needs three things before anyone watches: stadiums, broadcast rights, and players people already know. Which players made Americans pay attention to MLC?

## What the Data Says

MLC launched in 2023 with 6 franchises, a television deal, and a roster built heavily on players with established IPL pedigrees. The names that gave the league immediate recognition came with verifiable IPL track records.

**Key IPL alumni in MLC — career figures (MLC through Season 3, 75 matches):**

**Death bowling bridge:**
- **PJ Cummins** (SF Unicorns): All-time MLC death economy of **7.38 RPO** from 48 balls. In IPL: multiple seasons with Mumbai Indians and KKR, including IPL 2024 with KKR.
- **LH Ferguson** (LA KR / Washington Freedom): All-time MLC death economy of **7.54 RPO** from 74 balls. IPL: multiple seasons across franchises.
- **TA Boult** (MLC — see mlc-ta-boult-all-time.md): IPL career across multiple franchises; one of the first genuine IPL stars to anchor a MLC franchise from season one.

**Batting leadership:**
- **[Faf du Plessis](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/f-du-plessis)** (MLC): Former RCB captain, [Orange Cap](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/ipl/leaderboards/orange-cap) contender in IPL, brought leadership credibility to MLC. See: [mlc-faf-du-plessis-all-time.md](../dossier/mlc-faf-du-plessis-all-time.md)
- **NJ Pooran** (MI New York): IPL seasons with SRH, PBKS, LSG — known for explosive middle-order batting; translated directly to MLC franchise cricket.

For the full all-time MLC leaderboards, see: [players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/mlc/leaderboards](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/mlc/leaderboards)

## The Wow

MLC's all-time death bowling leaders — Gannon, Cummins, Ferguson — post economies of 7.18, 7.38, and 7.54 RPO respectively. These figures match or beat some of what IPL's best death bowlers posted in 2026.

A three-year-old league, in its third season, has death bowling data that sits alongside IPL's elite. The IPL alumni effect is not just marketing — it is a measurable skills transfer. These bowlers brought IPL death-bowling craft to a new competition and the numbers reflect it.

## What It Doesn't Say

MLC has 75 matches of history. IPL has 1,000-plus. The all-time leaderboards are based on a small sample — outlier seasons have larger effects in MLC than in IPL.

Player availability in MLC is constrained by IPL contracts, national team schedules, and bilateral series. Not every IPL star available for MLC is able to play, and not every season's roster matches the previous one.

The "credibility" framing here is a fan-narrative observation, not a business analysis. For franchise financial details and broadcast rights, cite official MLC sources.

## Related Concepts

- [MLC Franchises](../dossier/mlc-franchises.md)
- [MLC Player Pool Growth](../dossier/mlc-player-pool-growth.md)
- [Faf du Plessis MLC all-time](../dossier/mlc-faf-du-plessis-all-time.md)
- [MLC Death Overs Revolution](../stories/mlc-death-overs-revolution.md)
