MLC 2026 runs from June 18 to July 18, 2026, and it features 34 T20 matches across three venues in the United States.
In addition, defending champions MI New York return alongside five other franchises for the fourth season of Major League Cricket.
Furthermore, the tournament follows a double round-robin format with 30 league games, and then 4 playoff matches decide the champion across Grand Prairie Stadium (Texas), Oakland Coliseum (California), and the brand-new Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, Pomona.
So below you will find the complete MLC 2026 schedule, along with details on teams, venues, format, broadcast, and tickets.
MLC 2026 Key Tournament Details
Before jumping into the full fixture list, here is a quick-reference overview of everything you need to know at a glance.
| Details | Info |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Major League Cricket 2026 (Season 4) |
| Sponsor Title | 2026 Cognizant Major League Cricket |
| Dates | June 18 – July 18, 2026 |
| Format | T20 (Double Round-Robin + Playoffs) |
| Total Matches | 34 (30 league + 4 playoffs) |
| Teams | 6 |
| Venues | Grand Prairie Stadium, Oakland Coliseum, Knight Riders Cricket Field (Pomona) |
| Defending Champions | MI New York |
| Final Venue | Oakland Coliseum, California |
| Official Tickets | tickets.majorleaguecricket.com |
MLC 2026 Full Schedule & Match List
Here is the complete MLC 2026 fixture list with all 34 matches, as announced on March 20, 2026. Moreover, the schedule splits across three venue phases based on location.
| No. | Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 18 | Texas Super Kings vs Seattle Orcas | Grand Prairie |
| 2 | June 19 | LA Knight Riders vs SF Unicorns | Grand Prairie |
| 3 | June 19 | Seattle Orcas vs Washington Freedom | Grand Prairie |
| 4 | June 20 | Texas Super Kings vs SF Unicorns | Grand Prairie |
| 5 | June 20 | Washington Freedom vs MI New York | Grand Prairie |
| 6 | June 21 | Seattle Orcas vs LA Knight Riders | Grand Prairie |
| 7 | June 21 | Texas Super Kings vs MI New York | Grand Prairie |
| 8 | June 24 | SF Unicorns vs Texas Super Kings | Oakland Coliseum |
| 9 | June 25 | Washington Freedom vs Seattle Orcas | Oakland Coliseum |
| 10 | June 26 | MI New York vs Texas Super Kings | Oakland Coliseum |
| 11 | June 26 | SF Unicorns vs Seattle Orcas | Oakland Coliseum |
| 12 | June 27 | MI New York vs LA Knight Riders | Oakland Coliseum |
| 13 | June 27 | Washington Freedom vs Texas Super Kings | Oakland Coliseum |
| 14 | June 28 | LA Knight Riders vs Seattle Orcas | Oakland Coliseum |
| 15 | June 28 | SF Unicorns vs Washington Freedom | Oakland Coliseum |
| 16 | July 1 | LA Knight Riders vs Washington Freedom | Fairplex Pomona |
| 17 | July 2 | Seattle Orcas vs MI New York | Fairplex Pomona |
| 18 | July 3 | LA Knight Riders vs Texas Super Kings | Fairplex Pomona |
| 19 | July 4 | Washington Freedom vs SF Unicorns | Fairplex Pomona |
| 20 | July 4 | LA Knight Riders vs MI New York | Fairplex Pomona |
| 21 | July 5 | Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings | Fairplex Pomona |
| 22 | July 5 | SF Unicorns vs MI New York | Fairplex Pomona |
| 23 | July 8 | MI New York vs SF Unicorns | Grand Prairie |
| 24 | July 9 | Washington Freedom vs LA Knight Riders | Grand Prairie |
| 25 | July 10 | MI New York vs Seattle Orcas | Grand Prairie |
| 26 | July 10 | SF Unicorns vs LA Knight Riders | Grand Prairie |
| 27 | July 11 | Texas Super Kings vs Washington Freedom | Grand Prairie |
| 28 | July 11 | Seattle Orcas vs SF Unicorns | Grand Prairie |
| 29 | July 12 | MI New York vs Washington Freedom | Grand Prairie |
| 30 | July 12 | Texas Super Kings vs LA Knight Riders | Grand Prairie |
| 31 | July 15 | Qualifier 1 (1st vs 2nd) | Oakland Coliseum |
| 32 | July 15 | Eliminator (3rd vs 4th) | Oakland Coliseum |
| 33 | July 16 | Qualifier 2 (Q1 Loser vs Elim. Winner) | Oakland Coliseum |
| 34 | July 18 | Final | Oakland Coliseum |
How the Schedule Flows Across Venues
As you can see, the schedule moves through four distinct phases. It starts in Texas (Matches 1-7), then shifts to Oakland (Matches 8-15), before moving to the new Pomona venue (Matches 16-22).
After that, action returns to Grand Prairie for the final league games (Matches 23-30), and then moves back to Oakland for all four playoff matches.
In addition, double-header days appear throughout the calendar. June 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, July 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12 all feature two matches each, so fans get plenty of cricket on those days.
MLC 2026 Teams: All Six Franchises
All six franchises from the 2025 season return for MLC 2026. Interestingly, four of the six teams have backing from IPL franchise owners, and that shows how deeply Indian cricket money drives American cricket growth.
| Team | Ownership | Captain | Key Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI New York | Mumbai Indians Group | Nicholas Pooran | Defending Champions |
| Texas Super Kings | CSK Group | Faf du Plessis | Playoff regulars |
| LA Knight Riders | Knight Riders Group (KKR) | TBA | KKR-owned franchise |
| San Francisco Unicorns | Rajaraman & Harinarayan | Matthew Short | Signed R Ashwin |
| Washington Freedom | Freedom Cricket LLC | TBA | 2025 league-toppers |
| Seattle Orcas | GMR Group (DC link) | TBA | New coach Adam Voges |
Notable Signings & Squad Highlights
R Ashwin joining San Francisco Unicorns stands out as the biggest story heading into this season, because he becomes the first Indian-capped player to ever compete in MLC
Furthermore, the Unicorns have also retained Finn Allen (New Zealand) and Haris Rauf (Pakistan), both of whom delivered standout performances in BBL 2025-26.
Meanwhile, MI New York continues with their core of Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, and Kieron Pollard. So that lineup remains seriously stacked for any T20 competition.
In addition, Faf du Plessis leads Texas Super Kings once again, with Devon Conway and Marcus Stoinis rounding out a strong overseas contingent.
On the other hand, Seattle Orcas appointed Adam Voges as head coach for 2026, replacing Matthew Mott after a five-match losing start in 2025
MLC 2026 Venues: Where the Action Unfolds
The tournament spreads across three venues in Texas and California. Notably, organizers dropped Broward County Stadium in Florida this season and replaced it with the brand-new Knight Riders Cricket Field.
| Venue | City | Capacity | Matches Hosted | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prairie Stadium | Grand Prairie, TX | 7,200 | 15 | Hosts opener |
| Oakland Coliseum | Oakland, CA | 12,000 | 12 (incl. playoffs + final) | Hosts Final |
| Knight Riders Cricket Field | Pomona, CA | 5,000 | 7 | New venue for 2026 |
MLC 2026 Format & Playoff Structure
The format stays identical to the 2025 season. So here is how the tournament flows from start to finish.
League Stage (Matches 1-30)
All six teams play each other twice in a double round-robin format. As a result, each team plays 10 league matches (5 home, 5 away), and the league stage totals 30 games.
Moreover, teams earn 2 points per win, and the top four teams on the points table qualify for the playoffs.
Playoff Stage (Matches 31-34)
Qualifier 1 (July 15): The 1st-placed team faces the 2nd-placed team, and the winner goes directly to the Final.
Eliminator (July 15): The 3rd-placed team takes on the 4th-placed team, and the loser exits the tournament.
Qualifier 2 (July 16): The Qualifier 1 loser then faces the Eliminator winner, and the winner earns the second spot in the Final.
Final (July 18): The Qualifier 1 winner meets the Qualifier 2 winner at Oakland Coliseum, so the top two teams always get a safety net.
For example, even if the top-placed team loses their first playoff game, they still get a second chance through the Qualifier 2 route. In fact, the 2025 champions MI New York used exactly this path after finishing 4th in the league.
Key Players to Watch in MLC 2026
While some teams have not yet finalized overseas player announcements, several confirmed signings already make this the most star-studded MLC season yet.
| Player | Team | Country | Why Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| R Ashwin | SF Unicorns | India | First Indian-capped player in MLC |
| Nicholas Pooran | MI New York | West Indies | MI New York captain |
| Rashid Khan | MI New York | Afghanistan | Elite leg-spinner |
| Trent Boult | MI New York | New Zealand | Left-arm swing king |
| Faf du Plessis | Texas Super Kings | South Africa | TSK captain and anchor |
| Finn Allen | SF Unicorns | New Zealand | Hit 38 sixes in BBL 2025-26 |
| Haris Rauf | SF Unicorns | Pakistan | Most BBL wickets in 2025-26 |
| Devon Conway | Texas Super Kings | New Zealand | Consistent run-scorer |
| Andre Russell | LA Knight Riders | West Indies | Explosive all-rounder |
| Sunil Narine | LA Knight Riders | West Indies | All-format match-winner |
In addition to the overseas stars, the domestic talent pool deserves attention too. For example, Sanjay Krishnamurthi (SF Unicorns) has emerged as a breakout USA cricket talent, while Rushil Ugarkar (MI New York) won the Player of the Match award in the 2025 MLC Final.
Quick Recap: What Happened in MLC 2025
A short look back at the previous season provides useful context for what to expect in 2026.
MI New York won their second title in three seasons, and they beat Washington Freedom by 5 runs in a tense final. Remarkably, MI New York had finished 4th in the league standings but still fought their way through the playoffs.
Rushil Ugarkar emerged as the hero, because he took crucial wickets of Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Maxwell in the final.
Meanwhile, Washington Freedom topped the league stage, while Texas Super Kings and SF Unicorns also made the playoffs.
Furthermore, Season 3 set new commercial records. Ticket sales jumped 53% year-on-year, and a staggering 84% of ticket buyers attended MLC matches for the first time. In addition, broadcast reach extended to 90+ countries globally
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Final Thoughts
The MLC 2026 schedule delivers 34 packed matches over a month-long window, and the addition of Oakland for the final adds a new dimension to the tournament.
With R Ashwin’s landmark signing, a defending champion in MI New York, and commercial momentum that keeps growing, this fourth season looks set to be the biggest yet for Major League Cricket.
So whether you plan to attend in person or stream from India on JioHotstar, bookmark this schedule and set your reminders for June 18.
