Chicago Kingsmen

Background

Talks of an American Twenty20 league started in November 2018 just before USA Cricket became the new governing body of cricket in the United States.^[6][7] In May 2021, USA Cricket announced they had accepted a bid by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) for a US$1 billion investment covering the league and other investments benefitting the U.S. national teams.^[8]

In an Annual General Meeting on February 21, 2020, it was announced that USA Cricket was planning to launch Major League Cricket in 2021 and Minor League Cricket that summer,^[9] but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic^[10] and due to the lack of high-quality cricket stadiums in the USA.^[11] Major League Cricket was pushed to a summer-2023 launch^[12] and Minor League Cricket was pushed back to July 31, 2021.^[13]

USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins also pointed out cities such as New York City, Houston and Los Angeles with a large cricket fanbase, and targeted them among others as launch cities for Minor League Cricket.^[14]

Exhibition league

In July 2020, the player registration for the Minor League Cricket exhibition league began.^[15] On August 15, 2020, USA Cricket announced the teams participating in the exhibition league matches, also listing the owners for each team.^[16] The draft for the exhibition league began on August 22, 2020,^[17] with the Chicago Blasters releasing their squad on September 12.^[18] Ibrahim Khaleel was later named as captain for the Blasters, with Fahad Babar down for vice-captaincy duties for the exhibition league.^[19][20]

2021 season

After the conclusion of the exhibition league, USA Cricket announced that they were planning to launch the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket in spring 2021.^[21] Ahead of the official season, which was announced to kick off on July 31,^[22] the Blasters announced Fahad Babar as captain with Abul Hasan helming vice-captain duties.^[5]

Throughout the group stage, the Blasters won against the Athletics once, the Catchers twice, and the Americans once.^[23][24] However, the Blasters lost once against the Strikers, the Grizzlies and the Americans, while losing twice to the Mustangs, the Hurricanes, and the Stars.^[25][26] The Blasters finished 6th in their group, thus not advancing to the play-offs.

2022 season

Ahead of the 2022 season, Major League Cricket announced that the draft for that season would take place on May 12.^[27] Ahead of the official season, it was announced that the captaincy role would be shifted from Khaleel to local Blasters cricketer Ashhar Medhi, with Babar once again given vice-captaincy duties.^[28]

Throughout the season, the Blasters lost to the Tigers, Hurricanes, and the Stars twice, and lost to the Blazers, the Blasters, the Grizzlies, the Mustangs, and the Americans once.^[29][30] The Blasters finished last in their group, despite three of their games being washed out.^[31]