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In an exciting development for Major League Cricket (MLC), former Indian pacer and 2011 World Cup winner Munaf Patel has been appointed as the new bowling coach of Seattle Orcas for the 2025 season. The announcement was made through the Orcas' official social media channels. This comes after Munaf's recent stint as the bowling coach for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing IPL 2025 season.
Munaf’s New Role with Seattle Orcas
Munaf Patel’s association with Seattle Orcas aligns with his previous work in the Delhi Capitals ecosystem. Since the GMR Group co-owns both DC and the Seattle Orcas, the appointment was a natural progression. Alongside Patel, Matthew Mott continues as the head coach, while Venugopal Rao serves as the General Manager of Cricket Operations. The trio brings a wealth of experience, having worked together in both IPL and MLC.
Former England batsman Ian Bell has also joined Seattle Orcas as their batting coach. The ownership includes Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and GMR Group further tying these two franchises.
Vast Coaching and Playing Experience
Munaf Patel's extensive domestic and international cricket provides the perfect background to mentor the Seattle Orcas' bowling unit. He has been in the support staff of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, and has previously also worked as a bowling coach with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.
Munaf was known as a player for his accuracy with the seam movements he could extract. He played 63 IPL matches where he picked up 74 wickets at an economy rate of 7.51. His best season of IPL came with Mumbai Indians in 2011 when he captured 22 wickets in 15 matches at the impressive economy of 6.58. Munaf was a really important part of the Indian team in ODIs, taking 86 wickets in 70 matches and having an economy of 4.95.
Vision of Seattle Orcas towards MLC, 2025
At this juncture, the Orcas want to solidify their team with Munaf Patel as head of the bowling department, leading into 2025 MLC season which will be played during June and July. The franchise has the strategy of replicating their IPL counterpart Delhi Capitals within their framework by pulling the same coaching structure and synergies that develop between the two franchises.
A Promising Future for Seattle Orcas
The acquisition of Munaf Patel should add strength to the Orcas' bowling strategy and guide some young pacers well into their development education. Seattle Orcas is now poised to create quite a stir during the anticipated MLC season with Matthew Mott and Ian Bell combining for well-advised support staff.
As the countdown begins towards the MLC 2025, all eyes would be on how Munaf Patel's expertise helps Seattle Orcas perform at the grand stage of American cricket.
