The Major League Cricket 2026 schedule runs from June 18 to July 18, 2026, featuring 34 matches across three US venues. All six teams from last season return, with defending champions MI New York looking to claim a third title.

Read on for the complete fixture list, match timings in IST, venues, teams, and everything else you need to follow MLC 2026 from India.

MLC 2026 At A Glance

Before we go match by match, here is a quick snapshot of the fourth edition:

Detail	Info
Tournament	2026 Cognizant Major League Cricket (MLC 2026)
Edition	4th Season
Start Date	June 18, 2026
Final Date	July 18, 2026
Total Matches	34 (30 league + 4 playoffs)
Format	Double Round-Robin + Playoffs
Teams	6
Defending Champions	MI New York
Venues	Grand Prairie Stadium (TX), Oakland Coliseum (CA), Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, Pomona (CA)

The full schedule was officially announced on March 20, 2026, by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the league’s organizer.

MLC 2026 Full Schedule: All 34 Matches

The 34-match schedule is split across four venue phases, followed by the playoffs. Matches are expected to start at approximately 7:30 PM local time, in line with MLC’s standard practice from previous seasons.

Approximate IST conversions:

• Dallas matches (CDT, UTC−5): ~6:00 AM IST (next morning)
• Oakland & Pomona matches (PDT, UTC−7): ~8:00 AM IST (next morning)

Note: Official match timings for MLC 2026 are yet to be confirmed. IST estimates are based on previous MLC season patterns.

Phase 1: Dallas Leg (June 18–21, 2026)

The tournament opens at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas, with seven back-to-back matches over four days.

Match No.	Date	Team 1	Team 2	Venue	Approx. IST
Match 1	Jun 18	Texas Super Kings	Seattle Orcas	Dallas	Jun 19, ~6:00 AM
Match 2	Jun 19	LA Knight Riders	San Francisco Unicorns	Dallas	Jun 20, ~6:00 AM
Match 3	Jun 19	Seattle Orcas	Washington Freedom	Dallas	Jun 20, ~6:00 AM
Match 4	Jun 20	Texas Super Kings	San Francisco Unicorns	Dallas	Jun 21, ~6:00 AM
Match 5	Jun 20	Washington Freedom	MI New York	Dallas	Jun 21, ~6:00 AM
Match 6	Jun 21	Seattle Orcas	LA Knight Riders	Dallas	Jun 22, ~6:00 AM
Match 7	Jun 21	Texas Super Kings	MI New York	Dallas	Jun 22, ~6:00 AM

Match 5 on June 20 is one to bookmark immediately, it is a replay of the MLC 2025 final, with Washington Freedom taking on defending champions MI New York in just the third game of the tournament.

Phase 2: Oakland Leg (June 24–28, 2026)

The action shifts to the Oakland Coliseum in California for eight matches spread over five days.

Match No.	Date	Team 1	Team 2	Venue	Approx. IST
Match 8	Jun 24	San Francisco Unicorns	Texas Super Kings	Oakland	Jun 25, ~8:00 AM
Match 9	Jun 25	Washington Freedom	Seattle Orcas	Oakland	Jun 26, ~8:00 AM
Match 10	Jun 26	MI New York	Texas Super Kings	Oakland	Jun 27, ~8:00 AM
Match 11	Jun 26	San Francisco Unicorns	Seattle Orcas	Oakland	Jun 27, ~8:00 AM
Match 12	Jun 27	MI New York	LA Knight Riders	Oakland	Jun 28, ~8:00 AM
Match 13	Jun 27	Washington Freedom	Texas Super Kings	Oakland	Jun 28, ~8:00 AM
Match 14	Jun 28	LA Knight Riders	Seattle Orcas	Oakland	Jun 29, ~8:00 AM
Match 15	Jun 28	San Francisco Unicorns	Washington Freedom	Oakland	Jun 29, ~8:00 AM

Phase 3: Pomona Leg (July 1–5, 2026), The Brand New Venue

This phase is historic. Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex in Pomona, California, is making its MLC debut, replacing Broward County Stadium (Fort Lauderdale), which hosted matches in previous seasons.

Seven matches take place here, including a very spicy one on July 4, American Independence Day.

Match No.	Date	Team 1	Team 2	Venue	Approx. IST
Match 16	Jul 1	LA Knight Riders	Washington Freedom	Pomona	Jul 2, ~8:00 AM
Match 17	Jul 2	Seattle Orcas	MI New York	Pomona	Jul 3, ~8:00 AM
Match 18	Jul 3	LA Knight Riders	Texas Super Kings	Pomona	Jul 4, ~8:00 AM
Match 19	Jul 4	Washington Freedom	San Francisco Unicorns	Pomona	Jul 5, ~8:00 AM
Match 20	Jul 4	LA Knight Riders	MI New York	Pomona	Jul 5, ~8:00 AM
Match 21	Jul 5	Seattle Orcas	Texas Super Kings	Pomona	Jul 6, ~8:00 AM
Match 22	Jul 5	San Francisco Unicorns	MI New York	Pomona	Jul 6, ~8:00 AM

July 4 hosts two matches at Pomona, perfect timing for an American holiday crowd. For Indian fans, both games land on the morning of July 5.

Phase 4: Dallas Return Leg (July 8–12, 2026)

The teams head back to Grand Prairie Stadium for the final round of league matches. This phase determines playoff seeding, so every game here carries stakes.

Match No.	Date	Team 1	Team 2	Venue	Approx. IST
Match 23	Jul 8	MI New York	San Francisco Unicorns	Dallas	Jul 9, ~6:00 AM
Match 24	Jul 9	Washington Freedom	LA Knight Riders	Dallas	Jul 10, ~6:00 AM
Match 25	Jul 10	MI New York	Seattle Orcas	Dallas	Jul 11, ~6:00 AM
Match 26	Jul 10	San Francisco Unicorns	LA Knight Riders	Dallas	Jul 11, ~6:00 AM
Match 27	Jul 11	Texas Super Kings	Washington Freedom	Dallas	Jul 12, ~6:00 AM
Match 28	Jul 11	Seattle Orcas	San Francisco Unicorns	Dallas	Jul 12, ~6:00 AM
Match 29	Jul 12	MI New York	Washington Freedom	Dallas	Jul 13, ~6:00 AM
Match 30	Jul 12	Texas Super Kings	LA Knight Riders	Dallas	Jul 13, ~6:00 AM

MLC 2026 Playoffs Schedule

The top four teams from the league stage advance to the playoffs, hosted entirely at the Oakland Coliseum.

Match	Date	Venue	Approx. IST
Qualifier (1st vs 2nd)	Jul 15	Oakland	Jul 16, ~8:00 AM
Eliminator 1 (3rd vs 4th)	Jul 15	Oakland	Jul 16, ~8:00 AM
Eliminator 2 (Qualifier loser vs Eliminator winner)	Jul 16	Oakland	Jul 17, ~8:00 AM
Final	Jul 18	Oakland Coliseum	Jul 19, ~8:00 AM

The winner of the Qualifier goes directly to the final. The Qualifier loser gets a second chance in Eliminator 2. The two Eliminator winners meet in the grand final on July 18 at Oakland Coliseum.

MLC 2026 Teams: Who’s Playing?

All six franchises from MLC 2025 return for the fourth edition. Here is a quick rundown of each team:

Team	Home Base	MLC Titles	Notable Players (based on MLC 2025 roster)
MI New York	New York	2 (2023, 2025)	Nicholas Pooran (c), Trent Boult, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard
Texas Super Kings	Dallas	0	Faf du Plessis, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner
Washington Freedom	Washington D.C.	1 (2024)	Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Maxwell, Saurabh Netravalkar
San Francisco Unicorns	San Francisco	0	Lockie Ferguson, Steven Smith
LA Knight Riders	Los Angeles	0	Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rashid Khan
Seattle Orcas	Seattle	0	Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock (2024)

Note: Official MLC 2026 squad announcements were not finalized at the time of publishing. Player listings above are based on MLC 2025 rosters and may change. Always check MLC’s official website for confirmed squads.

MI New York is the team to beat. They won the MLC 2025 title by defeating Washington Freedom by just 5 runs in the final, finishing the league stage in 4th place and then going on a remarkable playoff run.

MLC 2026 Venues: Three Stadiums, Three Phases

Explore the three venues hosting MLC 2026 matches, along with their locations, match phases, and what makes each stadium unique.

Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas (Texas)

• Capacity: ~7,500
• Location: Grand Prairie, Texas (suburb of Dallas)
• Phase: Opening and Final league games
• Time Zone: Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5)

This is MLC’s home turf; the tournament has opened here since season one. The Texas Super Kings play their home games here, which means loud, packed crowds right from Match 1.

Oakland Coliseum, Oakland (California)

• Capacity: ~56,000 (cricket setup seats fewer)
• Location: Oakland, California
• Phase: Mid-tournament + Playoffs + Final
• Time Zone: Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−7)

The Oakland Coliseum will host the playoff matches and the MLC 2026 Final on July 18, for the first time in the tournament’s history. Previously, the final was played in Grand Prairie.

Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, Pomona (California)

• Location: Pomona, California
• Phase: July 1–5
• Time Zone: Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−7)

This is the brand new venue for MLC 2026, replacing Broward County Stadium in Florida. The Fairplex venue is linked to the LA Knight Riders franchise and will host seven matches, including the tournament’s first-ever games at this ground.

MLC 2026 Format Explained

The bottom line: Each team plays 10 league matches, the top four qualify for playoffs, and a single final decides the champion.

Here’s how the double round-robin works:

• All six teams play each other twice during the league stage
• That gives each team exactly 10 games in the league phase
• Points are accumulated, and the top four advance to the playoffs
• The playoffs use a Qualifier–Eliminator system, similar to what you see in the IPL

Playoff structure:

1. Qualifier: 1st vs 2nd,  the winner goes directly to the final
2. Eliminator 1: 3rd vs 4th, loser goes home
3. Eliminator 2: Qualifier loser vs Eliminator 1 winner,  loser goes home
4. Final: Qualifier winner vs Eliminator 2 winner

This system rewards teams who finish in the top two, giving them two chances to reach the final. MLC 2025 was a perfect example of why the bottom route is tough. MI New York finished 4th in the league stage but survived through the Eliminators to win the title.

How to Watch MLC 2026 Live in India

The short answer: Based on previous MLC seasons, Star Sports is your TV destination, and JioHotstar is your streaming platform.

MLC 2025 broadcast details for India:

• TV: Star Sports Network (English coverage)
• Streaming: JioHotstar (formerly JioCinema / Disney+ Hotstar)

Official MLC 2026 broadcast rights for India have not been confirmed as of April 2026. The above is based on MLC 2025 precedent as reported by Zee News. Check Star Sports and JioHotstar closer to June 18 for confirmed details.

Quick tips for Indian viewers:

• All matches start in the early morning in India (around 6:00–8:00 AM IST), so no sleepless nights required
• JioHotstar offers mobile-friendly streaming across Android and iOS
• Highlights and match replays are typically available on the platform after the live broadcast
• For those who prefer audio, Willow TV (primarily for the USA/Canada) sometimes makes audio available internationally

MLC 2026: By the Numbers

A few stats that put the scale of this tournament in perspective:

• Season 3 (MLC 2025) saw ticket sales grow 53% year-on-year, with the league broadcasting to 90+ countries globally
• 84% of MLC 2025 ticket buyers were first-time attendees at an MLC game; the growth is real
• Total investment by ACE in US cricket has crossed $150 million
• 34 matches across 31 days, that is essentially a match every day for a month
• 3 venues across 2 states (Texas and California)

Key Matchups to Watch in MLC 2026

Take a look at the biggest rivalries and must-watch clashes that could shape the outcome of Major League Cricket 2026.

MI New York vs Washington Freedom (Jun 20, Dallas | Jul 12, Dallas)

The 2025 final rematch happens twice in the league stage. The Washington Freedom are desperate for revenge after losing by 5 runs last year. Rushil Ugarkar’s famous last-over heroics for MI New York will live long in the memory of MLC. Expect both teams to go hard at each other from ball one.

Texas Super Kings vs MI New York (Jun 21, Dallas | Jul 8, Dallas)

Stephen Fleming’s Texas Super Kings have come close but never won. With Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway at the top, they always have enough firepower to challenge. Their clashes with the defending champions are always competitive and typically go down to the wire.

LA Knight Riders vs San Francisco Unicorns (Jun 19, Dallas | Jul 10, Dallas)

Both sides are looking to break their playoff drought. The Knight Riders have Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, one of the most destructive T20 combinations in franchise cricket. The Unicorns, on the other hand, are quiet, clinical, and never easy to beat.

Washington Freedom vs Seattle Orcas (Jun 19, Dallas | Jun 25, Oakland)

Two teams with something to prove. Washington Freedom, last year’s finalist, needs to go further this time. Seattle Orcas, despite their star-studded roster, have never made the final. Whoever wins this rivalry matchup twice will likely secure a top-two finish.

MLC 2026 Will Start From June 18, 2026

MLC 2026 is shaping up to be the biggest edition yet: a new venue, a hungry set of defending champions in MI New York, and a month of non-stop T20 cricket spread across three Californian and Texan grounds.

For Indian fans, the early-morning match timings actually work in your favor. Set an alarm, grab your chai, and enjoy some of the best overseas T20 talent going at it before the rest of your day begins. With the Final on July 18 at Oakland, there is plenty at stake right through to the very last ball.

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