The Seattle Orcas are gearing up for a new chapter in Major League Cricket under CEO Hemant Dua, who has reshaped the franchise’s cricket operations with a highly experienced coaching staff and a strategic vision aimed at long-term consistency and success.
When Dua was appointed in May 2024, just ahead of the second MLC season, he had little time to influence the setup. Now, with a full off-season behind him, the transformation is in full swing.
“We have made big changes in our setup,” Dua told cricexec, “and we’ve got a completely new set of support staff and coaching staff, except for a few that have continued from last year.”
“I want to thank the old coaching staff for their efforts,” Dua continued, “and welcome the new staff to the Seattle Orcas family.”
Ownership and GMR’s Global Cricket Footprint
The Seattle Orcas quickly made a splash in the MLC, reaching the finals in the inaugural 2023 season. Behind the scenes, they are backed by an influential ownership group that blends deep cricket expertise with global business leadership.
The Orcas are co-owned by a group of tech and business leaders—Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Soma Somasegar, Sanjay Parthasarathy, Samir Bodas, and Ashok Krishnamurthi—alongside a major cricket force: GMR Group.
GMR Group, headquartered in New Delhi, is a global infrastructure conglomerate with operations across airports, energy, transportation, urban infrastructure and sports. GMR Sports, the sports arm of the group, is a significant player in global sports, particularly cricket, led by their Corporate Chairman, Kiran Kumar Grandhi. They co-own the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, the Delhi Capitals Women’s team in the WPL, the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, the UP Yoddha in the Pro Kabaddi League, and have recently acquired Hampshire Cricket and the Southern Brave in The Hundred.
Orcas CEO Dua knows this system well—he spent several years working for GMR, including as CEO of the Delhi Daredevils/Capitals in the franchise’s first six seasons.
“I want to acknowledge the support that we’re getting from GMR Sports, who are obviously one of the investors in the team, especially on the cricket side of the business,” Dua said.
“I would also like to add that I am blessed to have support from the rest of the ownership group, especially Soma Somasegar and Sanjay Parthasarthy who work closely with me on the vision and strategy for the growth of the Seattle Orcas.”
That alignment is central to how the Orcas are being rebuilt—from top-tier coaching to operational expertise.
Venugopal Rao: a proven cricket brain at the helm of operations
Steering the franchise’s cricketing strategy from the front office will be Venugopal Rao, the Orcas’ new GM of Cricket Operations. A former India international who represented the national side in both ODIs and Tests, Rao brings not only the credibility of an elite player but also years of experience in building successful teams in the IPL and ILT20.
“He’s now the Director of Cricket for the IPL’s Delhi Capitals,” Dua said. “And he was also the Director of Cricket at Dubai Capitals, who won their first trophy this year. That was the first major cricket trophy for GMR other than the Legends trophy they had won a few years ago.”
Venu is well-known within the GMR Sports ecosystem. He played for the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) from 2011 to 2013, a period when Hemant Dua himself was part of the franchise leadership.
“He’s known to all of us really well,” Dua noted. “He brings in a wealth of experience and we’re hoping that we’ll go in that right direction.”
Matthew Mott leads a new era on the field
At the center of the coaching rebuild is Head Coach Matthew Mott, a widely respected leader with a résumé that includes winning the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022 with England and previously leading Australia’s women to a T20 World Cup title in 2020.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Seattle Orcas for the MLC,” Mott said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of a growing competition, and I can’t wait to work with the players, owners, and staff at the Orcas to build towards long-term, sustainable success.”
His commitment to the Orcas is already clear: “I’m looking forward to the challenge and contributing to a successful season both on and off the field… It will be fantastic to engage with the growing cricket community as we prepare for an exciting campaign ahead.”
Dua explained the hire: “He was shortlisted amongst a bunch of interviews that we did… but we zeroed down on Matthew Mott because of the philosophy and the energy and his passion for actually building teams over a period of time.”
“Matthew’s a great guy. He brings in a wealth of cricket experience. He’s passionate about the game. He’s passionate about youngsters. He wants to nurture them, build them, and he’s not looking at this as a one-year assignment,” Dua added. “He’s looking at it as a long-term assignment. So we’re kind of hoping that not just this year where we do well, but we do well consistently.”
The chemistry of champions: Ian Bell and Munaf Patel
Joining Mott on the coaching bench are two well-known names from the international cricket scene: Ian Bell as Batting Coach and Munaf Patel as Bowling Coach.
Bell, a former England Test stalwart, is one of the most technically sound batters of his era. Over a 12-year international career, he amassed more than 7,000 Test runs, including 22 centuries, and was a mainstay of England’s middle order during their rise to No. 1 in the world.
Patel, meanwhile, brings pace, experience, and World Cup-winning pedigree. The former Indian fast bowler played a key role in India’s triumphant 2011 campaign and was known for his control and composure in pressure moments.
“Again, both are cricketers with immense wealth of experience,” Dua said. “Ian is known as one of the top English batsmen in his time. He played well and I don’t need to repeat his achievements. And so is Munaf, right? Munaf’s a great bowler—was a top pace bowler of his time, and part of a World Cup-winning squad. He’s loved by the youngsters, and I am confident he will be of great help to our bowling unit with his rich experience.”
Crucially, both Bell and Patel have worked together with the Dubai Capitals, alongside Rao and Hemang Badani (also the Delhi Capitals’ Head Coach), where they recently lifted a title—making them a cohesive unit.
“They’ll be working with the same people and Matthew Mott in the Delhi Capitals,” Dua said. “One of the reasons why everyone’s coming on board together is, besides the wealth of experience that they bring, is the understanding. When you keep working together, you get to know your colleagues really well.”
“To me, that’s amazing because then the transition is much easier wherever you’re working globally… Rather than trying to work with new staff every time.”
Strategic synergy across GMR-owned teams
This cohesive staff setup isn’t accidental—it’s the result of intentional alignment with GMR Sports, which is finding synergy in its ownership stakes across Delhi Capitals, Dubai Capitals, and Hampshire Cricket.
“There is a lot of overlap in the staff that is going to be running this year’s cricket for us,” Dua said. “That for us helps when they come in here. They know each other. They understand each other’s energy.”
The Orcas are looking to replicate that successful structure in the US cricket landscape, aiming for consistent results on and off the field.
Maintaining key continuity
While the coaching team has been refreshed, a few key figures remain. Most notably, USA coach Rishi Bhardwaj continues in his Orcas role, helping bridge domestic and international player integration.
“Rishi… stays on because he’s in the US. He understands the US domestic players well,” Dua said. “He brings that wealth of experience which would be required by the staff that will be coming from other tournaments because they wouldn’t understand the domestic boys that well. He’s the bridge between the domestic talent and the coaching staff.”
Built for the long haul
The Seattle Orcas rebuild is more than cosmetic. It’s rooted in scouting, data, and deliberate planning. Dua and his colleague Jagan Nemani (Sr. VP Operations), along with Rishi and Ross Taylor attended domestic games across the country and entered the draft with the largest purse to secure top talent.
“I feel U.S. cricket has got huge potential,” Dua said. “The youngsters coming out there are amazing, and they need a few years before they can fully unleash them. The Minor League is a great platform for them to showcase their talent. All in all, it was a great exposure for me.”
With the foundation now set, the Seattle Orcas aren’t just aiming to bounce back — they’re building a cricketing setup for the long term.
“We want a team not just for this year, but for the future,” Dua said. “We want to be consistently performing well out there on the field and off the field.”
