New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has stepped back from its planned investment in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States ahead of the 2027 season. The decision comes as NZC looks to focus its resources on developing cricket at home and strengthening its domestic competitions. In April 2025, NZC announced a partnership with US-based True North Sports (TNS) Ventures, led by MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan. Under the agreement, NZC was expected to provide high-performance and operational support to one of the two new teams planned for the 2027 MLC season.

NZC chief executive Geoff Allott said the organisation appreciated the partnership and recognised the potential of cricket in the United States. "Firstly, I want to say that I admire the endeavor and aspiration behind the partnership with TNS," Allott said. "There's plenty of potential in the American market, however following further evaluation of the opportunity, we don't think the timing is right for us to be taking this on," he added. The decision also comes as the launch of NZ20, a new men's and women's T20 league intended to replace the existing Super Smash, has been delayed. The competition, originally planned for January 2027, is now scheduled to begin in December 2027. Allott said NZC wants to create the best possible high-performance environment for its players and teams while continuing to invest in the domestic game.

He also thanked TNS and the MLC co-founders for their cooperation in reaching a mutual agreement. NZC has said it will keep communication open with the organisers and wished them success with the league. New Zealand's decision differs from the approach taken by some other cricket boards. New South Wales and Victoria have already partnered with Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns, respectively, in Major League Cricket.

The proposed NZC partnership was expected to go further by providing operational and high-performance support to a new franchise. Several New Zealand players have already featured regularly in MLC, including Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert and Lockie Ferguson. Although NZC has stepped away from the planned investment, the move does not mean New Zealand players will stop participating in the American league.