Seattle Orcas co-owners Sanjay Parthasarathy and Soma Somasegar are no strangers to building from the ground up. The two longtime Microsoft executives helped shape one of the world’s most influential technology companies — and are now applying those lessons to one of cricket’s newest frontiers: Major League Cricket.
In an exclusive interview with Cricexec, Parthasarathy and Somasegar shared how their shared Microsoft roots, decades-long friendship, and carefully chosen partnership with India’s GMR Group have helped define the Orcas’ unique operating model — and why they believe this global-local approach is key to cricket’s success in the U.S.
“A 30-year relationship”
The foundation of the Orcas’ ownership group traces back to shared roots in Chennai and an enduring bond forged at Microsoft.
“We went to undergrad at the same place at the same time,” said Soma. “We knew of each other, but like Sanjay jokingly says, he was away playing cricket while I was on campus.”
“I was captain of the university team and spent a fair amount of time touring — not all the time, because I still had to go to class,” joked Sanjay. “Soma was in the highly academic section of the population.”
Their paths crossed again at Microsoft in the early 1990s. “Around 1992 or 1993,” Sanjay recalled, “Samir Bodas, one of the other owners, was on my interview loop when he applied to Microsoft. And then Satya (Nadella) and I worked together on the same team starting in 1993. These relationships go way back.”
“At one point, all of us — with our families — used to get together every month or so,” he added. “So it’s been a 30-year relationship.”
Cricket roots in Seattle
Both men were deeply connected to cricket — even as their Microsoft careers took off.
“For the first 21 years of my life, all I did was play cricket,” said Sanjay. “I grew up in Chennai and played under-15 and under-19 for Tamil Nadu and South Zone in India. A lot of my teammates went on to play for India.”
For Soma, the connection came as a passionate fan. “Growing up, I started by listening to cricket — because there was no TV back then. You’d have a pocket radio to listen to commentary. And these were the days of five-day matches. So you grew up immersed in it.”
That passion carried over in Seattle. “Back in 1989, we probably had around 40 to 50 Microsoft employees of Indian origin,” Soma said. “A few of us thought, hey, why don’t we play some weekend cricket? We managed to get a couple of games in.”
By 1990, the Microsoft Cricket Club was born. “I first played cricket at Microsoft in the summer of 1990,” Sanjay said. “And what I noticed was everyone took it very seriously. If you didn’t show up to practice, you couldn’t play the game.”
Cricket in Seattle has since exploded. “Fast forward to today, we literally have hundreds of amateur cricket teams,” Soma said. “On any Saturday or Sunday — for six to eight months a year — if it’s not raining, you can find a game of cricket in many of the local parks here.”
The birth of the Orcas — and a global vision
Conversations about professional cricket in the U.S. began in parallel. “(MLC co-founders) Samir (Mehta) and Vijay Srinivasan started talking about it in 2017,” said Soma. “Separately, Satya, Sanjay, and I had been having conversations since around 2013 about how we might participate in cricket.”
By 2020, the Orcas ownership group began to take shape. “Given Sanjay’s deep background and passion for cricket — as both a player and a fan — we really wanted him to be part of this,” Soma said.
As the group explored how to structure the team, one thing was clear: they needed the right partner.
“We needed somebody with the right cricket operational skills”
“It was obvious to us that this was a complicated venture — one that required a lot of different skill sets,” said Sanjay. “We may know cricket, but we didn’t know how to run a cricket team.”
Soma led an extensive outreach effort. “We didn’t want to reinvent everything,” he said. “So we thought each team should identify a high-performance partner.”
They approached it like any other business challenge — methodically. “We had to figure out who was interested in partnering, who shared our values, and who had the capabilities,” Soma said. “There were a couple of IPL groups that were interested.”
Why GMR? “We felt the GMR group aligned best with who we are, how we operate, and where we want to go,” Soma said.
“It was clear — it was a good fit,” added Sanjay. “I was in India at the time and attended a Delhi Capitals match. I met with the family, and it just clicked.”
More than just alignment, GMR brought a forward-looking approach. “It’s not just that our values aligned,” Sanjay said. “The way GMR thinks strategically about global cricket is really impressive. They were among the first I heard talking about owning teams across different countries and leveraging shared resources — coaches, players, knowledge — across their network.”
“And we’ve benefited,” he added.
Division of expertise: local leadership, global operations
The Orcas’ model reflects a deliberate split in responsibilities.
“We always envisioned the Seattle Orcas as a local team with global resources,” said Sanjay. “On the operations side, Soma, myself, and the team here focus on all the local engagement — community, grassroots, events.”
“GMR has taken on more of the cricket operations,” he added. “They lead international scouting, recruitment, coaching, and team logistics.”
“We’re constantly refining that balance,” Soma said. “It’s important that the Orcas are a U.S.-based team built for U.S. fans — but we also want to deliver the best product on the field, and that’s where GMR’s expertise comes in.”
This season’s revamped coaching staff reflects that. “This is where the magic of the partnership really starts to happen,” said Sanjay.
The original coaching trio — Praveen Amre, Johan Botha, and Ross Taylor — were all part of GMR’s extended network. “Unfortunately, Praveen couldn’t return this year due to family reasons,” Sanjay said.
That opened the door to a new group: Matthew Mott, Ian Bell, and Munaf Patel — all with GMR ties. “We’re super excited about the people coming on board,” Soma said.
“Relationships matter — with GMR and beyond,” Sanjay added. “Ross is still a vital part of the Orcas family and continues to help with scouting and building connections.”
Building a fan-first culture
The Orcas’ goal is bold: to be “America’s favorite cricket team.”
“We came up with that phrase during a branding session in year two,” said Sanjay. “It’s a little tongue-in-cheek, and also aspirational.”
Community engagement is central to this strategy. “Last year we brought the World Cup trophy to Bellevue, and 2,000 people came out,” Sanjay said. “This year, we’re organizing a 5K and 10K run — with all the players coming to meet fans.”
“We want this to be a family-oriented sport,” Soma added. “Not just for a specific demographic, but for everyone — kids, parents, entire families.”
Building for the next 30 years
The next big milestone: playing home games in Seattle.
“To truly activate our fan base, we have to play locally,” Soma said.
That’s why the Orcas are working with King County to develop a cricket community park.
“It’s a partnership,” said Sanjay. “We’re building something for the next 20 to 30 years.”
The facility is designed to serve more than just MLC matches. “We want the community using it year-round,” Soma explained. “And it needs to be multi-purpose — not just for cricket, but concerts, events, other sports.”
“Being able to give back”
For both co-owners, this journey is deeply personal.
“I met an 80-year-old lady at our first MLC match in Dallas,” Soma said. “She’d moved to the U.S. to be closer to her kids and thought she’d never see live cricket again. When she heard about MLC, she flew from California to Dallas just to watch a game. That was a goosebumps moment.”
“Cricket gave me so much,” Sanjay said, holding up a signed photo from his playing days. “Being able to give back by helping build the sport here — it’s incredibly meaningful.”
