New Delhi: Major League Cricket (MLC) is set to return for its fourth season on June 18, with Texas Super Kings taking on Seattle Orcas at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas. This venue will host the first seven matches of the 34-game competition before moving to the Oakland Coliseum in California and the newly established Knight Riders Cricket Field in Pomona, California.
New Venue and Expansion
The Knight Riders Cricket Field is one of the biggest additions to MLC 2026. It will serve as the home base for the LA Knight Riders franchise, which has been allocated seven matches. After the MLC, the venue's capacity will be expanded for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The LA Knight Riders will face Washington Freedom on July 1, marking the first time Los Angeles hosts a top-level cricket match.
“Bringing Major League Cricket to Los Angeles is a huge milestone for our league and for the growth of cricket across the United States,” said Johnny Grave, CEO of MLC. “The Pomona Fairgrounds will be the future home of Olympic cricket in 2028, and we’re thrilled to give fans in Southern California their first taste of the sport at this well-known venue.”
R Ashwin Joins San Francisco Unicorns
Another major highlight is the addition of veteran Indian spinner R Ashwin, who will play for the San Francisco Unicorns. The 39-year-old becomes the first former India international to feature in the MLC, and this will also be his first appearance in a foreign league. He was previously signed for the Big Bash League but missed out due to injury. Ashwin will play at the Oakland Coliseum, the Unicorns' home ground.
“When I was interested in playing outside of India, after retiring, Anand (Rajaraman) and Venky (Harinarayan) were the first to reach out,” Ashwin said in a video posted by the franchise. “I'm excited because this is a country where not much cricket is played. Even though I have played for decades, I didn't get to experience America. I played an exhibition game at the same venue a few months ago. It's very different, and I look forward to blending in.”
Returning Veterans and New Captains
Several familiar faces are back for MLC 2026. Steve Smith, who led Washington Freedom to the title in 2024, returns and takes over captaincy from Glenn Maxwell. Other retained captains include Jason Holder (LA Knight Riders), Nicholas Pooran (MI New York), Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings), and Matt Short (San Francisco Unicorns). Seattle Orcas, after missing playoffs for two straight seasons, have appointed Marcus Stoinis as captain and Adam Voges as coach.
Defending Champions and Milestones
Defending champions MI New York remain strong contenders with a squad featuring skipper Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Trent Boult, Corbin Bosch, Romario Shepherd, Allah Ghazanfar, and Corey Anderson. Pollard is on the verge of a major milestone, needing just 81 runs to surpass Chris Gayle as the all-time highest T20 scorer. Alex Hales of LAKR is 33 runs behind Pollard.
Player Availability Concerns
As with most T20 leagues, player availability remains a concern due to overlapping competitions. MLC is in a favorable position as The Hundred starts later, but the T20 Blast in England and the Lanka Premier League overlap. These factors could affect players like AM Ghazanfar, Romario Shepherd, Mark Chapman, Nikhil Chaudhary, Rachin Ravindra, Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardie, Peter Siddle, and Shimron Hetmyer.
