Major League Cricket (MLC), the upcoming professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United States has announced a partnership deal with Royal, a renowned US-based Indian brand known for its authentic basmati and sona masoori rice, atta wheat flour, and Indian ready meals.

As part of the partnership, Royal will play a significant role in acknowledging outstanding cricket performance by sponsoring the inaugural award for the league’s leading run scorer during the 2023 season. The award for the “Royal Leading Run Scorer” will be given out on July 30, 2023, at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. The brand will also provide branded giveaways to fans and serve South Indian dishes at select matches.

“We’re excited to partner with Major League Cricket to bring the culture, cuisine and vibrant flavours of South Asia to cricket fans in the United States," said Abhinav Arora, president of LT Foods Americas, the renowned global culinary enterprise behind the brand. "Much like cricket, the love for Royal® basmati rice transcends borders and cultures and we’re excited for fans of all backgrounds to experience the joy of cricket and delicious authentic Indian foods that are a source of comfort and celebration.”

The inaugural MLC match will take place on July 13, 2023, at the Grand Prairie Stadium, near Dallas, Texas followed by eighteen scheduled matches before the inaugural MLC championship final on July 30.