Team India’s veteran off-spinner R Ashwin is going to enter the cricket field soon. He will be seen playing for San Francisco Unicorns in America’s Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament. The fourth season of this league has started. After retiring from international cricket and IPL, Ashwin is now eligible to play in foreign leagues. He was signed to Australia’s Big Bash League but could not play due to knee surgery. Now he is ready to enter MLC. Ashwin will become the first cricketer to play in this league, who has played international cricket for the Indian team. Know every detail about this season of MLC.
What is the schedule?
MLC 2026 started on June 18 (June 19 Indian time). The final match will be played on July 18 at the Oakland Coliseum. Knockout matches will also be held at this venue.
Who are the teams?
Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, MI New York, Los Angeles Knight Riders, Texas Super Kings and Seattle Orcas are the 6 teams of this league. Except for Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns, all the teams are owned by IPL franchises. The Seattle Orcas are owned by GMR Group, which is co-owner of the Delhi Capitals. MI is the defending champion of the New York MLC.
Also read: Pant returns, KL captain; Yuvraj batting coach, DC will change completely in IPL 2027?
Who are the captains?
Australian veteran Steve Smith is in command of Washington Freedom. He has been made the captain in place of Glenn Maxwell. Smith could not play the last season of MLC due to international commitments. He made Washington Freedom win the title under his captaincy in 2024. Matthew Short (San Francisco Unicorns), Faf Du Plessis (Texas Super Kings), Nicholas Pooran (MI New York) and Jason Holder (Los Angeles Knight Riders) have been retained as captains. Seattle Orcas will be captained by Marcus Stoinis.
Who are the big players?
Apart from Ashwin, Smith, Du Plessis, Pooran, Stoinis, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell will also be seen playing in MLC 2026. Finn Allen’s magic will also be seen in this league. Fans will also keep an eye on Indian-origin American player Saurabh Netrawalkar.
Also read: Barcelona or Real Madrid, which club has produced the most World Cup winners?
What is the format?
The format of MLC is similar to other franchise leagues. There will be a league stage in the first round robin format. The top-2 teams will face each other in the qualifiers, the winner of which will get a direct ticket to the finals. The third and fourth placed teams will face each other in Eliminator 1. The winner of Eliminator 1 will face the team that lost the qualifiers in Eliminator 2 and this match will decide the second finalist.
Where can you watch MLC 2026 in India?
Fans in India can watch the live telecast of all the matches of MLC 2026 on Star Sports Network. Live streaming will be available on JioHotstar app and website. That means, to enjoy MLC matches on mobile, you will have to go to JioHotstar app.
Comments are closed.