MLC 2026 features six franchise teams competing in T20 action across the United States from June 18 to July 18, 2026.
The six Major League Cricket 2026 teams are MI New York, Texas Super Kings, Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, and Los Angeles Knight Riders.
MI New York enters as defending champions after their thrilling 5-run win over Washington Freedom in the 2025 final. Meanwhile, R Ashwin’s historic signing with San Francisco Unicorns makes him the first India-capped player to feature in MLC.
This article covers every franchise’s squad, ownership, coaching staff, key players, and season history for MLC 2026.
MLC 2026 Teams At A Glance
Before breaking down each franchise, here is a quick snapshot of all six MLC 2026 teams.
| Team | State | Owner | Captain | Coach | Best MLC Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI New York | New York | Indiawin Sports (Reliance) | Nicholas Pooran | Mark Boucher | Champions (2023, 2025) |
| Texas Super Kings | Texas | CSK Cricket / Ross Perot Jr. | Faf du Plessis | Stephen Fleming | Semifinalists (2025) |
| Washington Freedom | D.C. | Sanjay Govil | Glenn Maxwell | Ricky Ponting | Champions (2024) |
| San Francisco Unicorns | California | Cambrian Ventures | Matthew Short | Cameron White | Runners-up (2024) |
| Seattle Orcas | Washington | GMR Group / Satya Nadella | Sikandar Raza | Adam Voges | Runners-up (2023) |
| LA Knight Riders | California | Knight Riders Group | Jason Holder | Dwayne Bravo | 5th (2024) |
1. MI New York (MINY) – Defending Champions
MI New York is the most dominant franchise in MLC history, having won two titles out of three seasons (2023 and 2025).
Owned by Indiawin Sports under Mukesh Ambani, MINY shares its parent structure with Mumbai Indians (IPL), MI Cape Town (SA20), and MI Emirates (ILT20).
The 2025 campaign was remarkably dramatic. After losing six of their first seven matches, MINY clawed back to finish fourth. They then rattled off three straight playoff wins, beating Washington Freedom by 5 runs in the final.
Young fast bowler Rushil Ugarkar defended 12 off the final over in that title decider, earning Player of the Match honours at just 20 years old
MI New York Squad for MLC 2026
| Batters/WK | All-Rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Pooran (C, WK) | Kieron Pollard | Trent Boult |
| Quinton de Kock (WK) | Corey Anderson | Rushil Ugarkar |
| Ryan Rickelton | Corbin Bosch | Allah Ghazanfar |
| Monank Patel (WK) | Romario Shepherd | Tristan Luus |
| Agni Chopra | Nosthush Kenjige | |
| Tajinder Singh | ||
| Sunny Patel | ||
| Kunwarjeet Singh | ||
| Faisal Khan Ahmadzai |
Key Players to Watch
Nicholas Pooran smashed 137* off 55 balls in the 2023 final and remains one of the most explosive batters in franchise cricket globally.
Trent Boult consistently swings the new ball both ways, which makes him a nightmare for opening batters in powerplay overs.
Quinton de Kock adds another dimension at the top. Having him alongside Pooran gives MINY arguably the best wicketkeeping depth in the tournament.
Combine that with Kieron Pollard’s death-overs experience and Allah Ghazanfar’s mystery spin, and you start understanding why MINY is the bookmakers’ favourite.
2. Texas Super Kings (TSK) – The Chennai Connection
Texas Super Kings are co-owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket, Ross Perot Jr., and Anurag Jain. The franchise is essentially CSK’s American arm.
Stephen Fleming coaches, Faf du Plessis captains, and the yellow jerseys look suspiciously familiar. If you have watched CSK in the IPL, you know the blueprint.
TSK play home matches at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, the league’s traditional headquarters with a capacity of approximately 7,200 expandable to 15,000
Despite consistently strong performances, TSK has not yet lifted the MLC trophy. In 2025, they reached the semifinals before falling to MI New York.
Texas Super Kings Squad for MLC 2026
| Batters | All-Rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Faf du Plessis (C) | Wiaan Mulder | Hardus Viljoen |
| Rilee Rossouw | Calvin Savage | Adam Milne |
| Joshua Tromp | Amshi de Silva | Nandre Burger |
| Milind Kumar | Abhimanyu Lamba | Keshav Maharaj |
| Saiteja Mukkamalla | Donovan Ferreira | Akeal Hosein |
| Shubham Ranjane | Mohammad Mohsin | |
| Smit Patel |
Key Players to Watch
Faf du Plessis might be in the twilight of his career, but his ability to anchor an innings while others swing around him is unmatched in the MLC.
Rilee Rossouw brings left-handed power hitting in the middle order, while Keshav Maharaj adds a left-arm spin option that has troubled batters across T20 leagues worldwide.
Among domestic talent, Milind Kumar and Joshua Tromp have been reliable contributors across previous MLC seasons.
3. Washington Freedom – The 2024 Champions
Washington Freedom won the MLC title in 2024 and followed it up with a runners-up finish in 2025, losing to MI New York in a heartbreaking final.
Owned by Indian-American businessman Sanjay Govil, the franchise has assembled a star-studded coaching setup with Ricky Ponting as head coach.
With Glenn Maxwell leading the side, Freedom plays an aggressive brand of cricket. Their 2025 league stage record of 8-2 was the best across all teams
Washington Freedom Squad for MLC 2026
| Batters | All-Rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Maxwell (C) | Ian Holland | Saurabh Netravalkar |
| Andries Gous | Amila Aponso | Ben Dwarshuis |
| Mitchell Owen | Mukhtar Ahmed | Marco Jansen |
| Obus Pienaar | Lahiru Milantha | |
| Abhishek Paradkar | ||
| Yasir Mohammad |
Key Players to Watch
Glenn Maxwell needs no introduction. His 360-degree stroke play can dismantle any bowling attack in a matter of overs.
Marco Jansen is the new addition fans should look out for. The tall left-arm seamer generates steep bounce that troubles even seasoned T20 batters.
Saurabh Netravalkar became a household name after his heroics for USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The software-engineer-turned-cricketer offers reliable left-arm swing bowling.
4. San Francisco Unicorns – Ashwin’s Landmark Signing
San Francisco Unicorns have made the most talked-about signing in MLC 2026 history. Ravichandran Ashwin has joined the franchise, becoming the first Indian-capped player to compete in Major League Cricket
Owned by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan through Cambrian Ventures, the Unicorns play their home matches at the Oakland Coliseum.
Their best finish came in 2024, when they reached the final as runners-up. Cameron White has been appointed head coach for 2026, succeeding Shane Watson.
San Francisco Unicorns Squad for MLC 2026
| Batters | All-Rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Short (C) | Cooper Connolly | Haris Rauf |
| Finn Allen | Aaron Hardie | Ravichandran Ashwin |
| Oliver Peake | Hassan Khan | Xavier Bartlett |
| Aakarshit Gomel | Hammad Azam | Juanoy Drysdale |
| Sanjay Krishnamurthi | Brody Couch | |
| Zia Ul-Haq | ||
| Mohammad Ilyas | ||
| Anirudh Immanuel | ||
| Saideep Ganesh |
Key Players to Watch
Ravichandran Ashwin brings over 700 international wickets worth of experience. His carrom ball and tactical nous will be invaluable on American pitches.
Finn Allen hit 38 sixes in the 2024-25 Big Bash League, which was 18 more than any other batter in the tournament.
Haris Rauf took the most wickets in the BBL before signing for MLC, and his raw pace regularly clocks above 145 kmph.
Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly adds batting depth and useful off-spin, while Xavier Bartlett is a rising Australian fast bowler who can generate both pace and movement.
5. Seattle Orcas – The Pacific Northwest Underdogs
Seattle Orcas made an instant impression in 2023, finishing atop the league stage and reaching the final as runners-up.
The franchise is backed by a high-profile investor group that includes Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Soma Somasegar, with the GMR Group (linked to Delhi Capitals in IPL) providing cricket infrastructure support.
After a poor 2025 season where they lost their first five matches, Seattle parted ways with coach Matthew Mott. Adam Voges, the former Australian batter, has taken over coaching duties for 2026.
Sikandar Raza leads the side, bringing all-round capabilities with both bat and off-spin.
Seattle Orcas Squad for MLC 2026
| Batters | All-Rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Sikandar Raza (C) | Marcus Stoinis | Jason Behrendorff |
| Shimron Hetmyer | Raymon Reifer | Cameron Gannon |
| Matthew Breetzke | Shehan Jayasuriya | Tanveer Sangha |
| Tim Seifert (WK) | Harmeet Singh | |
| Shayan Jahangir | Ali Sheikh | |
| Ayan Desai | Sharad Lumba | |
| Rahul Jariwala | Jasdeep Singh |
Key Players to Watch
Marcus Stoinis is a game-changer who can bat anywhere in the top six and bowl useful medium pace. His Big Bash performances speak for themselves.
Shimron Hetmyer is one of the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball. When he connects, the ball rarely comes back.
Jason Behrendorff provides left-arm swing with the new ball, while Tanveer Sangha offers leg-spin variety that could be tricky on American surfaces.
6. Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) – Bollywood Meets Cricket
Los Angeles Knight Riders are owned by the Knight Riders Group, led by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, alongside Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta.
The same group operates Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL), Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20). That global structure gives LAKR access to scouting networks and coaching expertise across continents.
A huge development for 2026 is the opening of the Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex in Pomona, California. This is the first franchise-owned dedicated cricket stadium in MLC history.
Even more exciting: Pomona is also the planned venue for cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the sport returns after a 128-year absence.
Legendary T20 all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been appointed head coach for 2026, replacing Phil Simmons.
LA Knight Riders Squad for MLC 2026
| Batters | All-Rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Unmukt Chand | Jason Holder (C) | Ali Khan |
| Saif Badar | Nitish Kumar | Shadley van Schalkwyk |
| Kartikh Gatepalli | Kristopher Ramsaran | |
| Matthew Tromp | Carmi le Roux | |
| Jahmar Hamilton (WK) |
Note: LAKR’s full overseas signings are yet to be finalized. Additional international players are expected to be announced closer to the tournament.
Key Players to Watch
Unmukt Chand was once the U-19 World Cup winning captain for India. He moved to the USA, gave up his BCCI contract, and has since become a consistent performer in American domestic cricket.
Ali Khan is one of the most experienced USA fast bowlers. His ability to hit hard lengths and generate awkward bounce makes him effective in T20s.
With Dwayne Bravo as coach, expect LAKR to focus heavily on death-overs strategy. After all, Bravo is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history.
IPL Franchise Connections in MLC 2026
Four of the six MLC 2026 teams have direct ownership ties to IPL franchises. This connection has significantly raised the league’s profile and player-recruitment quality.
| MLC Team | IPL Parent | Other Franchise Links | Key Shared Resource |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI New York | Mumbai Indians | MI Cape Town, MI Emirates | Player pipeline, coaching |
| Texas Super Kings | Chennai Super Kings | None | Stephen Fleming, strategy |
| LA Knight Riders | Kolkata Knight Riders | TKR, ADKR | Global scouting network |
| Seattle Orcas | Delhi Capitals (GMR) | None | Infrastructure support |
Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns are independently owned, which gives them freedom in team-building but also means they lack the IPL talent pipelines.
Suggested Read:
Final Verdict: All 6 Teams Comes Up With Strong Lineups
MI New York looks the strongest on paper, thanks to Pooran, Boult, de Kock, and Pollard. However, San Francisco Unicorns have made the splashiest moves with Ashwin, Rauf, and Allen.
Washington Freedom topped the 2025 league stage and still has Maxwell plus Ponting. Do not write them off.
Whatever happens, MLC 2026 promises the most competitive season yet, as all six teams have improved their squads significantly from last year.
