The American Over

Neel and Dhruv break down USA's ODI qualifier run: a composed chase to beat UAE, and a frustrating loss to Namibia where the top order collapsed but the tail showed some fight. From there it's the bigger picture. Who's still watching ODIs once Kohli retires? Why do associate nations have to "qualify for a qualifier for a qualifier"? And should the Test/associate divide be replaced with promotion and relegation? Plus the USA's surprising Test-cricket trivia, the odd three-week gap before the Minor League Cricket Super Eights, USA women's cricket losing ODI status, and USA Cricket being dissolved, again.

Dhruv and Neel recap Team USA's recent ODI matches against the UAE and Namibia and walk through the confusing multi-tier qualification system for the ICC's 2027 ODI World Cup, and the steps Team USA will have to take to reach the top 14 cricket teams that'll play for the trophy in South Africa next year. Plus, we take a tour of the ongoing 2026 Minor League Cricket (MiLC) season, meet the teams, and discuss what MiLC means for the development of homegrown American cricketing talent. Along the way, Dhruv worries about team USA's inexperienced bowling attack while Neel shares his long-held dream of seeing Jersey (the old one) play Italy in the World Cup. Recorded on Sunday, October 11th, 2026. Watch or listen on: YouTube: https://youtu.be/Oy85MwcJC5k Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2AHjdNR5qMMRlUuh8MfK0d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-5-we-qualified-for-the-qualifiers/id1896945551?i=1000796229737

We're back! We attended the Major League Cricket (MLC) final in Oakland this July and recap the final-over drama, the fan experience, and our observations from the ground. We then turn to team USA's international calendar and the qualification process for the 2027 ODI World Cup. It leads us to ponder some broader questions about the sport... can MLC move beyond its "traveling circus" model? Is the T20 World Cup quietly replacing the ODI version as the sport's main trophy? And why is the World Cup qualification process so convoluted and gate-kept? Finally, we look north of the border to Canada's Super60 domestic league (men's and women's) and imagine what the future of pan-North American cricket might look like. Watch or listen on: YouTube: https://youtu.be/nhjsp83y9QQ?si=JgIZ9hmTtBU2NTA0 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1faslItAMalGD51ujZ17tC?si=Hdt21ys3SGyMmh0djjl14g Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-4-is-the-cricket-world-cup-really-the-world-cup/id1896945551?i=1000793175405

We recap the third week of the USA's Major League Cricket (MLC) season, where the teams played in a new cricket-focused stadium in Pomona, near Los Angeles, California. We discuss matches between the LA Knight Riders, Washington Freedom, SF Unicorns, Texas Super Kings, MI NY, and Seattle Orcas, and rank the teams' batting and bowling lineups. Plus, Saurabh Netravalkar has a great week, Sunil Narine is a monster, Steve Smith puts his test batting skills to good use, Lhuan'dre Pretorius is a one-man show, and Ravichandran Ashwin continues to be a no-show... but apparently he's joined the San Francisco AI boom. We finish by covering a rumored MLC expansion to Chicago and Toronto. Watch the episode on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cmx0NYbyGmvmLuC9FJgFZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-3-major-league-crickets-week-in-socal/id1896945551?i=1000775568225 YouTube: https://youtu.be/rXOGOuJK5OE

This week, Neel and Dhruv are covering Week 2 of the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. They specifically cover the Texas Super Kings (TSK) vs. the Washington Freedom (WSF), walking through the ups and downs of a tense final over finish. In addition, they discuss MI New York vs. TSK and the topsy-turvy Seattle Orcas (SEO) v SF Unicorns (SFU). Finally, they review the peculiarities of the schedule and playoff picture so far, with an interesting cricket–baseball crossover story at the end. Listen to this episode on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-final-over-madness/id1896945551?i=1000774599669 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Xu9QbFN4coSlksGsP4jHL Full details for the matches we covered: TSK @ WSF: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/major-league-cricket-2026-1528556/texas-super-kings-vs-washington-freedom-13th-match-1528569/full-scorecard MINY @ TSK: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/major-league-cricket-2026-1528556/mi-new-york-vs-texas-super-kings-10th-match-1528566/full-scorecard SEO @ SFU: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/major-league-cricket-2026-1528556/san-francisco-unicorns-vs-seattle-orcas-11th-match-1528567/full-scorecard

Introducing The American Over, a brand new cricket podcast with Dhruv Gupta and Neel Mehta. This week we're looking back at the first week of the MLC 2026. We then take a look at the team compositions to predict how the second week and rest of the season will play out.