California-based Twenty20 (T20) cricket side the San Francisco Unicorns has enlisted cloud security and compliance technology specialist Qualys as its inaugural cyber security partner for the upcoming summer 2025 Major League Cricket season in the United States.

In exchange for its suite of IT security solutions, including its security intelligence platform Enterprise TruRisk, which automates vulnerability detection, compliance and protection across the organisation, Qualys will be placed front and centre on the team’s matchday and training strips, as well as on signage and merchandise. It will also be able to take advantage of other branding opportunities, including placement in matchday broadcasts and media.

The team’s fan club, the so-called Sparkle Army, will also incorporate Qualys’s shield logo into its branding.

The two organisations said their partnership reflected Qualys’s commitment to safeguarding digital organisations and supporting local communities.

“This season marks a significant milestone for the Unicorns as we come to play in the Bay Area for the first time, and we’re thrilled to deliver world-class cricket via an elite partnership with local cyber security pioneer Qualys,” said team CEO David White.

“Qualys stands out as an organisation for its commitment to excellence; a quality we strive for in all aspects of our own setup. Having their logo prominently displayed on our playing jerseys will be a reminder of our own high standards and values, while also resonating with our fans proudly sporting the matchday kit in the stands.”

The Unicorns are one of six teams – the others hailing from Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington DC – that inaugurated America’s Major League Cricket franchise just two years ago with the aim of broadening the sport’s appeal in the US. Although it is true the first ever cricket international was between the US and Canada, the sport never really caught on across the Atlantic as it was largely formalised after the War of Independence.

Backed by venture capitalists Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, who co-founded Junglee, an early internet shopping comparison site acquired by Amazon in the late 1990s, and coached by Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, the Unicorns may be well-placed to capitalise on the existing cricket fandom among the many thousands of Indian and Pakistani nationals employed in Silicon Valley.

Its growing pool of players draws heavily on Australian talent, including the likes of former Under-19s captain Cooper Connolly, who received his first Test Cap this year against Sri Lanka; Jake Fraser-McGurk, fresh from his maiden international half-century against the England T20 squad last September; and Matt Short, who scored his maiden One Day International half-century – also against England – off a mere 23 balls.

“Qualys is proud to sponsor the San Francisco Unicorns, and we’re honoured to have the opportunity to support a team that mirrors our values of innovation and determination,” said Sumedh Thakar, president and CEO of Qualys.

“This partnership reflects our dedication to building strong community connections and celebrating excellence across all fields,” he added.

The team will begin this year’s campaign at the Oakland Coliseum on 12 June 2025, when it meets Washington Freedom.

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