Six teams compete in Major League Cricket 2026, running from June 18 to July 18, 2026. The lineup is unchanged from last season: MI New York, Texas Super Kings, Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, and LA Knight Riders.
MI New York enters as defending champions, but every team has made serious off-season moves to stop them.
Here is everything you need to know about each MLC 2026 team, squads, captains, coaches, ownership, form history, and players to watch.
MLC 2026 Teams: Quick Overview
| Team | Captain | Head Coach | Owner | MLC Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI New York | Nicholas Pooran | Robin Peterson | Indiawin Sports (Ambani Group) | 2 (2023, 2025) |
| Texas Super Kings | Faf du Plessis | Stephen Fleming | CSK Cricket, Ross Perot Jr., Anurag Jain | 0 |
| Washington Freedom | Glenn Maxwell | Ricky Ponting | Sanjay Govil | 1 (2024) |
| San Francisco Unicorns | Corey Anderson | Cameron White | Anand Rajaraman & Venky Harinarayan | 0 |
| Seattle Orcas | Heinrich Klaasen | Adam Voges | GMR Group, JSW Sports, Satya Nadella (co-owner) | 0 |
| LA Knight Riders | Sunil Narine | Phil Simmons | Knight Riders Group (SRK, Juhi Chawla, Mehta Group) | 0 |
1. MI New York, The Defending Champions
The bottom line: MI New York is the team everyone is gunning for. They have won two of three MLC titles (2023 and 2025), and their ability to peak at the right time is almost irritating for the other five franchises.
About the Franchise
MI New York is owned by Indiawin Sports, the same group that owns the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, MI Cape Town in the SA20, and MI Emirates in the ILT20. The franchise’s home base is planned for Marine Park in Brooklyn, New York, though all MLC matches are played at league-wide venues.
In MLC 2025, MI New York finished 4th in the league stage with just one win in seven matches, and still won the title. If that does not tell you everything about what this franchise does in knockout cricket, nothing will. They have retained seven of their core domestic players ahead of MLC 2026, including Monank Patel, Nosthush Kenjige, Tajinder Singh, Rushil Ugarkar, Sunny Patel, Kunwarjeet Singh, and Agni Chopra, with two draft additions, Corey Anderson and Faisal Khan Ahmadzai, also joining the squad.
MI New York MLC 2026 Squad
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain / WK-Bat | Nicholas Pooran (WI) |
| Batters / WK | Quinton de Kock (SA), Monank Patel (USA), Agni Chopra (IND), Tajinder Singh (IND) |
| All-Rounders | Kieron Pollard (WI), Corey Anderson (USA) |
| Pace Bowlers | Trent Boult (NZ), Rashid Khan (AFG), Nosthush Kenjige (USA), Rushil Ugarkar (USA), Naveen-ul-Haq (AFG) |
| Others | Kunwarjeet Singh (USA), Sunny Patel (USA) |
Key Players to Watch
Nicholas Pooran is arguably the most destructive finisher in franchise T20 cricket right now. He scored 137* off 55 balls in the inaugural MLC 2023 final, a knock that essentially handed MI New York their first title on a plate. He also captained the team through their remarkable comeback in 2025.
Trent Boult is the kind of bowler who makes opening batters check if their pads are buckled properly. His ability with the new ball in the powerplay is MLC’s best-kept secret, except it is not a secret at all.
Rushil Ugarkar is the name Indian fans should learn quickly. The young USA fast bowler defended 12 off the last over in the MLC 2025 final, sending Washington Freedom home in heartbreak. He is 20, he is fast, and he does not know what a pressure situation means.
MLC 2025 Performance
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| League Stage Finish | 4th |
| Playoff Route | Eliminator 1 → Eliminator 2 → Final |
| Final Result | Champions (beat Washington Freedom by 5 runs) |
2. Texas Super Kings, The Nearly Men With Serious Firepower
The bottom line: Texas Super Kings have come close but never won. In 2026, with Faf du Plessis still at the helm and one of the deepest batting rosters in the league, that could change.
About the Franchise
Texas Super Kings are co-owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket, Ross Perot Jr., and Anurag Jain. Their home ground, Grand Prairie Stadium, has a capacity of 7,200 and can be expanded to 15,000 for major events.
The Chennai connection is real. The team is coached by Stephen Fleming and captained by South African Faf du Plessis, two men who know exactly how CSK operates and how to build tournament temperament. The issue has always been converting regular-season dominance into a title.
Texas Super Kings MLC 2026 Squad
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain / Bat | Faf du Plessis (SA) |
| Batters | Devon Conway (wk, NZ), Mitchell Marsh (AUS), Daryl Mitchell (NZ), Marcus Stoinis (AUS), Calvin Savage (SA), Donovan Ferreira (SA), Milind Kumar (IND), Saiteja Mukkamalla (USA) |
| Wicket-Keepers | Devon Conway (NZ), Smit Patel (USA), Joshua Tromp (USA) |
| Pace Bowlers | Nandre Burger (SA), Adam Milne (NZ), Noor Ahmad (AFG), Mohammad Mohsin (PAK), Akeal Hosein (WI), Ottneil Baartman (SA) |
| All-Rounders | Marcus Stoinis (AUS), Daryl Mitchell (NZ) |
| Domestic | Shubham Ranjane, Stephen Wiig, Adam Khan, Zia-ul-Haq |
Key Players to Watch
Faf du Plessis has been the most consistent batter in MLC’s history. The former South African skipper has scored the most runs in the franchise’s history, 480 runs in just 8 innings at an average of 50. He leads from the front with both bat and temperament.
Marcus Stoinis is the team’s Swiss Army knife. The Aussie all-rounder can bat at 3 or 6, bowl medium pace, and win you games from either end of the innings.
Mitchell Marsh adds another layer of all-round firepower. A former T20 World Cup-winning all-rounder for Australia, Marsh’s ability in the powerplay with both bat and ball gives TSK an extra dimension.
Devon Conway provides the steady anchor this lineup needs. He is not the flashiest name in the squad, but his ability to read conditions and rotate strike in the middle overs quietly shapes a lot of the innings around him.
MLC Performance History
| Season | League Stage | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Qualified | Eliminated in Qualifier |
| 2024 | Qualified | Qualified (lost in final stages) |
| 2025 | Qualified (top 4) | Eliminated in Eliminator 2 |
3. Washington Freedom, The Finalists Who Want More
The bottom line: Washington Freedom won their first MLC title in 2024 and reached the 2025 final, only to lose by 5 runs in the last over. They are not done. Under Ricky Ponting’s coaching and Glenn Maxwell’s captaincy, they are probably the most star-heavy lineup in the tournament.
About the Franchise
Washington Freedom is owned by Indian-American entrepreneur Sanjay Govil. The team is coached by Ricky Ponting and is captained by Steve Smith.
One note: in MLC 2025, Glenn Maxwell led the Freedom squad, with Steve Smith playing in two games as part of a shared-captaincy arrangement. This dual-captain structure is expected to continue in 2026, given schedule clashes with other tournaments.
Washington Freedom is also pushing for a potential cricket stadium in Frederick, Maryland, called “Frederick Gateway”, with a capacity of 25,000 spectators. The rezoning proposal cleared the Frederick Planning Commission in July 2025 and now awaits the City Council.
Washington Freedom MLC 2026 Squad
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain | Glenn Maxwell (AUS) / Steve Smith (AUS, shared) |
| Batters | Steve Smith (AUS), Rachin Ravindra (NZ), Mitchell Owen (NZ), Andries Gous (wk, SA), Lahiru Milantha (wk, SL), Mark Chapman (NZ) |
| All-Rounders | Glenn Maxwell (AUS), Glenn Phillips (NZ), Mukhtar Ahmed (PAK/USA), Ian Holland (USA), Obus Pienaar (SA), Marco Jansen (SA) |
| Pace Bowlers | Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Saurabh Netravalkar (USA), Jason Behrendorff (AUS), Ben Sears (NZ), Abhishek Paradkar (USA), Yasir Mohammad (AFG), Amila Aponso (SL) |
| Domestic | Justin Dill, Jack Edwards |
Key Players to Watch
Glenn Maxwell is the team’s X-factor. In MLC 2025, Maxwell bagged three wickets in a match as Freedom demolished MI New York, a result that shows he brings more than just batting fireworks. His off-spin is seriously underrated at this level.
Rachin Ravindra offers solidity and composure at the top of the order, something Maxwell-led lineups sometimes need desperately. His ability to build innings while scoring at 140+ makes him the perfect foil for Maxwell’s explosiveness.
Saurabh Netravalkar is the USA’s best cricketer right now. The left-arm medium pacer’s ability to hit his spots under pressure makes him invaluable in the death overs. He took crucial wickets in both the 2025 qualifier and final.
Mitchell Owen had the most remarkable MLC 2025 season among Washington’s domestic-ish players. Owen scored 89, and partner Gous contributed 80 not out as Freedom chased down a target of 220 against Texas Super Kings with two balls remaining, the kind of partnership that tells you this team knows how to chase.
MLC Performance History
| Season | League Stage | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Qualified | Eliminated by MI New York |
| 2024 | 1st place | Champions (beat SF Unicorns by 96 runs) |
| 2025 | 1st place | Runners-up (lost final to MI New York by 5 runs) |
4. San Francisco Unicorns, The Biggest Story of MLC 2026
The bottom line: San Francisco Unicorns have never won an MLC title, but they have made two finals (2024, reached playoffs in 2025) and are now making the most talked-about signing in MLC history. Ravichandran Ashwin has joined the Unicorns, making him the first-ever Indian-capped player to compete in MLC.
About the Franchise
San Francisco Unicorns are owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, both Silicon Valley veterans, which probably explains the team’s data-driven approach to squad building and coaching appointments.
Cameron White has been appointed as Head Coach for MLC 2026, succeeding Shane Watson, who led the Unicorns through their first three seasons. White served as Assistant Coach in 2025 and brings a year-round, hands-on role to the position alongside his existing commitment as Melbourne Renegades head coach in the BBL.
The Ashwin Signing
This deserves its own paragraph because it is genuinely a landmark moment.
Ravichandran Ashwin has signed a deal to play for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026, making him the first-ever Indian-capped player to compete in the league.
Ashwin himself said: “Taking on the mantle as the first Indian-capped player to compete in Major League Cricket is a major responsibility that I fully embrace. My absolute focus is to help this franchise win games and push for its first Championship.”
For context, Ashwin is among the top five wicket-takers in IPL history with 187 wickets in 221 matches. He is a winner of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy, and has earned over 100 caps in both Test and ODI cricket. Putting him in the same dressing room as Haris Rauf is either a tactical masterstroke or the most entertaining chaos waiting to happen.
San Francisco Unicorns MLC 2026 Squad
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain / AR | Corey Anderson (USA) |
| Batters | Finn Allen (NZ), Matt Short (AUS), Jake Fraser-McGurk (AUS), Cooper Connolly (AUS) |
| Pace Bowlers | Haris Rauf (PAK), Liam Plunkett (ENG), Brody Couch (AUS), Juanoy Drysdale (USA), Carmi le Roux (USA) |
| Spin | Ravichandran Ashwin (IND — new signing), Sanjay Krishnamurthi (USA) |
| All-Rounders | Hassan Khan (AFG), Karima Gore (USA), Hammad Azam (PAK) |
Key Players to Watch
Ravichandran Ashwin is not just a signing; he is a statement. For an Indian cricket audience, especially, watching Ash operate in the USA in MLC colors will be genuinely surreal. At 39, he remains one of the sharpest cricket minds on the planet.
Finn Allen is the batting fireworks. The New Zealand opener’s strike rate in T20 cricket sits consistently above 160. He gives the Unicorns a top-order explosion that other teams cannot match for sheer boundary-hitting frequency.
Haris Rauf is already one of MLC’s most feared bowlers. The Pakistan pacer’s ability to clock 145+ kph and deliver yorkers at will makes him almost unplayable at the death. He was excellent in MLC 2025 before a hamstring injury in the playoffs derailed his season.
Matt Short has quietly been one of the most reliable performers in franchise cricket globally across the BBL, SA20, and MLC. He is the glue between Finn Allen’s explosiveness and the team’s middle order.
MLC Performance History
| Season | League Stage | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Qualified | Final (lost to MI New York) |
| 2024 | 2nd place | Final (lost to Washington Freedom) |
| 2025 | 3rd place (went to Eliminator) | Eliminated in Eliminator 1 |
5. Seattle Orcas, The Sleeping Giant That Needs to Wake Up
The bottom line: Seattle Orcas reached the first-ever MLC final in 2023 and then went spectacularly backward, winning just four of 17 matches across 2024 and 2025. For 2026, they have made the most high-profile coaching appointment of any team: Adam Voges.
About the Franchise
Seattle Orcas are co-owned by GMR Group, JSW Sports, and Satya Nadella, among others. The same group co-owns the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. They have always had the resources and the intent. The results just have not matched.
The franchise sacked Matthew Mott mid-season in 2025 after a 0-5 start, with Heinrich Klaasen also stepping down as captain to focus on his batting. Sikandar Raza took over as captain for the rest of the season but could not rescue their playoff hopes.
For 2026, they brought in a serious head coach: Adam Voges, the outgoing Western Australia head coach, will take the reins of the Seattle Orcas. Voges replaces Matthew Mott, who was fired after Orcas lost their first five games of the 2025 season.
Why does that matter? Voges has won the Big Bash League with Perth Scorchers three times as captain and three times as head coach, giving him a ring in 43% of the league’s championships to date. He also has three Sheffield Shields and four One Day Cups to his name, in charge of Western Australia.
Seattle Orcas MLC 2026 Squad
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain / WK-Bat | Heinrich Klaasen (SA) |
| Batters | Shimron Hetmyer (WI), Kyle Mayers (WI), David Warner (AUS), Sikandar Raza (ZIM), Steven Taylor (USA), Shayan Jahangir (USA) |
| Wicket-Keeper | Klaasen (SA) |
| All-Rounders | Sikandar Raza (ZIM), Gulbadin Naib (AFG) |
| Pace Bowlers | Obed McCoy (WI), Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG), Waqar Salamkheil (AFG) |
| Domestic | Harmeet Singh, Aaron Jones, Cameron Gannon, Ayan Desai, Jessy Singh, Sujit Nayak, Ali Sheik, Rahul Jariwala |
Key Players to Watch
Heinrich Klaasen is one of the most destructive middle-order batters in global T20 cricket. He has played almost 250 T20 matches globally, been a standout in the IPL, SA20, and The Hundred, amassing 400+ runs at a strike rate of 175+ in the inaugural SA20 season. When Klaasen is in form, no total is safe.
Shimron Hetmyer was Seattle’s saving grace in the second half of MLC 2025. The West Indian left-hander hit some memorable death-over sixes when the team needed them most. Think of him as the man who shows up when things look their worst.
Fazalhaq Farooqi is the Afghan seamer who surprises everyone the first time they face him, and still surprises them the second time. His reverse swing and ability to land yorkers consistently make him effective on any surface.
Obed McCoy is all left-arm pace and angles. He naturally bowls across right-handers, making him a nightmare to line up in the powerplay.
MLC Performance History
| Season | League Stage | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1st place | Final (lost to MI New York) |
| 2024 | Mid-table | Did not qualify |
| 2025 | Bottom half | Did not qualify (mid-season coaching change) |
6. LA Knight Riders, The Brand Powerhouse Looking for Their First Title
The bottom line: LA Knight Riders have the most recognizable ownership group in franchise cricket globally, the Knight Riders brand behind them, and Andre Russell and Sunil Narine in their ranks. They have never won an MLC title. That is either a massive problem or a massive opportunity, depending on how you look at it.
About the Franchise
LA Knight Riders are owned by the Knight Riders Group, a sporting subsidiary alliance between Red Chilies Entertainment and the Mehta Group. The team’s home ground as of the 2026 season is at Fairplex in Pomona, California, the new MLC venue for 2026.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Knight Riders brand also owns Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL), Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20). LAKR are the newest jewel in that crown and, so far, the most frustrating one without a title.
Phil Simmons remains head coach. Sunil Narine will continue to lead the LA Knight Riders, and the franchise has also named Phil Simmons as their head coach. Narine has been with the franchise since day one, which gives some continuity to a team that has struggled with results.
LA Knight Riders MLC 2026 Squad
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain / AR | Sunil Narine (WI) |
| Batters | Rovman Powell (WI), Sherfane Rutherford (WI), Matthew Tromp (USA), Unmukt Chand (USA), Nitish Kumar (CAN), Alex Hales (ENG) |
| All-Rounders | Andre Russell (WI), Jason Holder (WI), Dominic Drakes (WI) |
| Pace Bowlers | Anrich Nortje (SA), Spencer Johnson (AUS), Adithya Ganesh (USA), Karthik Gattepalli (USA) |
| Domestic | Saif Badar, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Tanveer Sangha, Ali Khan |
Key Players to Watch
Andre Russell at his best is basically unfair. The big Jamaican can change a T20 match in 10 deliveries with the bat and dismiss top-order batters with raw pace. After retiring from the IPL in 2025, MLC became his most important franchise commitment.
Sunil Narine has been one of cricket’s greatest T20 all-rounders for over a decade. His mystery spin is hard to read even by batters who have faced him 50 times, and his unorthodox opening batting style regularly puts opposition bowlers on the back foot in the powerplay.
Anrich Nortje is the fastest bowler in the tournament, full stop. The South African pacer regularly touches 150+ kph, and in a competition that often comes down to death-over execution, having someone who can bowl a 95mph yorker is an enormous asset.
Jason Holder brings both 6-foot-7 seam bowling and the experience of captaining the West Indies across all formats. He is one of the smartest cricketing brains in the franchise circuit.
MLC Performance History
| Season | League Stage | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Last place (6th) | Did not qualify |
| 2024 | 5th place | Did not qualify |
| 2025 | Bottom half | Did not qualify |
Three seasons, zero playoff appearances. If there is one team carrying the most motivation into MLC 2026, it might just be the Knight Riders.
MLC 2026 Teams: Strengths And Weaknesses At A Glance
| Team | Biggest Strength | Biggest Question Mark |
|---|---|---|
| MI New York | Clutch playoff performers: Pooran + Boult | Can they fix a slow league stage? |
| Texas Super Kings | Batting depth: most balanced squad on paper | Never won the title, mental block? |
| Washington Freedom | Maxwell + Ravindra combo; best bowling in league | Over-reliance on Maxwell |
| SF Unicorns | Ashwin-Rauf combo; Allen’s explosiveness | Can a new coach deliver in year one? |
| Seattle Orcas | Klaasen + Voges; motivated after two poor seasons | Too much ground to make up quickly |
| LA Knight Riders | Russell + Narine; raw power throughout | Consistent underperformance in the league stage |
Who Owns Each MLC 2026 Team?
MLC 2026 has some of the most interesting franchise ownership stories in cricket. Here is the full picture:
MI New York is owned by Indiawin Sports, the sporting arm of the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries empire. The same group owns the five-time IPL champion Mumbai Indians. In March 2023, it was reported that Mukesh Ambani-owned Indiawin Sports would be the primary owner of Major League Cricket’s New York franchise.
Texas Super Kings have a clear Chennai connection. They are co-owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd., Ross Perot Jr. (a Dallas businessman), and Anurag Jain. The franchise’s home ground, Grand Prairie Stadium, can seat 15,000 for major events.
Washington Freedom is owned by Sanjay Govil, an Indian-American entrepreneur and chairman of Infinite Computer Solutions. Govil lobbied D.C. officials for a cricket stadium on the defunct RFK Stadium campus.
San Francisco Unicorns are owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, two Stanford-educated Indian-American tech investors from Silicon Valley. Their tech-first DNA shows in how the franchise approaches player recruitment and data analytics.
The Seattle Orcas are co-owned by GMR Group and JSW Sports (which also co-owns Delhi Capitals), with Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO) among the notable co-owners. The Orcas’ owners have a clear ambition to build something lasting in Seattle.
LA Knight Riders are owned by the Knight Riders Group, the joint venture between actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chilies Entertainment and the Mehta Group. The team’s home ground starting in 2026 will be the Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex in Pomona, California, which is a nice piece of brand alignment.
MLC 2026 Teams: Head Coaches
Coaching changes are always a story in franchise cricket, and MLC 2026 has two significant ones:
Adam Voges replaces Matthew Mott at Seattle Orcas. This is the biggest off-season coaching move. Voges brings a proven pedigree of winning, a distinctive ability to develop world-class talent, and a deep understanding of T20 franchise cricket — the exact medicine Seattle needs after a horrific 2025 campaign.
Cameron White replaces Shane Watson at the San Francisco Unicorns. Watson coached the Unicorns for all three seasons and took them to two finals. White, who was part of the Unicorns’ 2025 setup as Assistant Coach, has been promoted and given a year-round remit as head coach, combining this role with his existing position as head coach of the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL.
| Team | Head Coach | Nationality | Notable Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI New York | Robin Peterson | South Africa | 2 MLC titles as coach |
| Texas Super Kings | Stephen Fleming | New Zealand | 5-time IPL-winning coach (CSK) |
| Washington Freedom | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 3-time ODI World Cup winner as a player |
| SF Unicorns | Cameron White | Australia | Former Australia T20 captain |
| Seattle Orcas | Adam Voges | Australia | 6x BBL champion (player + coach combined) |
| LA Knight Riders | Phil Simmons | West Indies | Former West Indies head coach |
Final Word
MLC 2026 is the most competitive edition of the league yet. Every team has made meaningful off-season changes, coaching upgrades, or headline signings. The defending champions, MI New York, will need to find consistency in the league stage. The Texas Super Kings cannot carry the burden of being the best team to never win. Washington Freedom will want to go one better than their heartbreaking 2025 final.
And then there is the elephant in the room that wears blue and gold: can anyone stop Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, and Rushil Ugarkar from doing it again in July?
The answer starts on June 18 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
FAQs
Six teams: MI New York, Texas Super Kings, Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, and LA Knight Riders.
Nicholas Pooran captains MI New York in MLC 2026. The West Indian wicketkeeper-batter has led the team since MLC 2025 and is also one of the tournament’s most explosive batters.
MI New York, with two titles, in 2023 (the inaugural season) and 2025.
Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain and five-time IPL-winning coach with Chennai Super Kings. He has coached TSK since the franchise’s inception.
Yes. Ravichandran Ashwin has signed with San Francisco Unicorns for MLC 2026, making him the first-ever Indian-capped player to compete in Major League Cricket.
LA Knight Riders are owned by the Knight Riders Group, the same group that owns Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20. Shah Rukh Khan is among the principal owners.
Adam Voges is the new head coach of Seattle Orcas for MLC 2026, replacing Matthew Mott, who was fired after Seattle lost their first five matches in the 2025 season.
MI New York enters as defending champions and is the bookmakers’ early favorite. However, Washington Freedom, who topped the league stage in 2025, and Texas Super Kings, with their balanced squad, are right in the mix. The Ashwin signing gives the San Francisco Unicorns an unpredictability they have never had before.