This is a two-part guest post by the co-owners of the San Francisco Unicorns, Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan – Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists – on their franchise ownership journey.
When we first stepped into Major League Cricket, we were entering unfamiliar territory. We’ve built startups, launched venture funds, and navigated the world of technology and entrepreneurship, but cricket? That was purely a passion. We were fans—regular fans—who took a leap into something new.
And in many ways, that was a good thing. Not having a traditional background in cricket allowed us to approach the San Francisco Unicorns with a fresh perspective, much like we do with all startups we’ve been involved with.
MLC: a startup in itself
Major League Cricket (MLC) itself is a startup. It’s a brand-new league in a country that hasn’t had cricket at this level before. And that’s how we approached it—from first principles. A startup operates with incomplete information, learns as it moves forward, and iterates quickly. That’s exactly how MLC is evolving, and as a franchise within it, we have embraced that startup mindset.
In any startup, you don’t have all the answers. You make decisions based on the best information available, run as fast as you can, and adjust as you go. Some things work, some don’t, but you keep learning and improving. That’s how we’ve built companies, and that’s how we’re building this franchise.
At the core of our decision was this: cricket in the U.S. is at an inflection point. There is now a significant cricket-loving audience in the country—a critical mass of fans. And T20, a three-hour format, is perfect for an American sports audience. When you put those factors together, it’s clear that the time is right to bring world-class cricket to the U.S.
Creating a world-class cricket product
Once we decided to invest in cricket, we focused on a fundamental principle: to build a sustainable sports business, you need to create the best product possible. That means attracting the best players, creating a competitive and exciting league, and growing the fanbase. In sports, close and exciting games naturally lead to engagement, and that’s what drives long-term success.
We also knew that differentiation would be key. The San Francisco Unicorns needed to reflect the culture and ethos of the Bay Area. We weren’t just another cricket team—we were Silicon Valley’s team. And with that came a unique identity and a way of doing things that aligned with how this region builds companies and drives innovation.
Why the Unicorns? The story behind the name
Coming up with the name was a process we approached much like any other startup branding decision. The Bay Area is home to some of the world’s most successful startups, and in the startup world, a “unicorn” is a billion-dollar company—something rare and special. But beyond the business world, unicorns also symbolize uniqueness, ambition, and breaking barriers. That has always defined Silicon Valley, and we felt it should define our team.
Both of us, independently, landed on the name “Unicorns,” which reinforced that we were onto something special. But when we took it to the league, they weren’t convinced. There was resistance. We heard, “No way, you can’t go out with a name like this.”
That reaction only solidified our conviction. We had seen this before. Back when we founded our first company, Junglee (which approximately means “wild jungle dweller” in Hindi), we faced similar pushback on the name. Investors wanted us to change it, but we knew that strong names evoke strong reactions. Either a name is a blank slate, or it elicits strong opinions—which means people remember it.
Then we had some validation. Nick Cummins, CEO of Cricket Victoria, immediately loved the name. He encouraged us to stand our ground, and we did. We pushed back on the league and refused to budge. Today, fans love the name, the league has embraced it, and our branding—complete with giveaway hats featuring unicorn horns—has become a huge hit.
A different ownership model and an analytical approach
One of the ways we’ve approached the Unicorns differently is in how we’ve structured the franchise. Many teams in MLC are connected to IPL franchises. While we respect the IPL model, we chose a different path—one that felt more natural for us as startup founders.
Rather than adding complexity with IPL ownership, we decided to keep things simpler and instead formed a strategic partnership with Cricket Victoria in Australia. In any startup, complexity is the enemy. We wanted a straightforward, efficient way to get into the game, learn, and grow. Partnering with a high-performance cricket organization like Cricket Victoria gave us immediate expertise and credibility while allowing us to maintain control of our vision.
Beyond the business side, we also wanted to bring a Silicon Valley mindset to the way the team operates. That means being data-driven. From team selection to performance analysis, we’re integrating analytics and decision-making processes that are common in tech but not always emphasized in traditional cricketing structures.
To their credit, the coaching staff from Cricket Victoria embraced this approach. They saw the value in using data to make better cricketing decisions, and we’ve already seen it pay dividends on the field.
Building a strong leadership team
One of the first principles of a successful startup is hiring great people and letting them do their jobs. That’s exactly how we’ve approached the leadership of the Unicorns.
We built a strong working relationship with Nick Cummins, who became a great friend and trusted partner. Through him, we were introduced to David White, who has been instrumental in leading the organization, and was recently even promoted to the role of CEO. The chemistry between us has been fantastic, despite coming from very different worlds—tech and cricket.
David understands cricket in a way that we don’t, and our job is to provide support without getting in his way. We’ve applied the same principle on the high-performance side, where Graham Manou and the Cricket Victoria staff have brought deep cricketing expertise to our team.
Applying the Startup Mindset to cricket
At the end of the day, we’re treating this like any other startup. That means:
- Focusing on First Principles: Cricket in the U.S. is ready for growth, and T20 is the right format to drive it.
- Building a World-Class Product: The best players create the best competition, which attracts the most fans.
- Leveraging Data and Analytics: Bringing a Silicon Valley mindset to cricket operations.
- Keeping it Simple: Avoiding unnecessary complexity in ownership and decision-making.
- Hiring the Best People: Trusting great leadership and letting them execute.
We’re still early in this journey, and just like any startup, there will be challenges faced, mistakes made, and pivots and along the way. But we’re excited about where we are today and where we’re headed.
