MLC 2026: Here Are the Complete Squads of Every Franchise
The Return of Major League Cricket
Major League Cricket (MLC) has officially returned for its fourth season, and the buzz surrounding the tournament feels bigger than ever. The 2026 edition, which commenced on June 18 and is scheduled to conclude on July 18, brings together six elite franchises to battle it out in the United States. Spanning venues across Texas and California, the tournament is designed to be short on duration but heavy on the high-octane action that modern T20 cricket fans crave.
MLC 2026. (Credits: X.com)
The season kicked off with a fiery clash between the Texas Super Kings and the Seattle Orcas at the iconic Grand Prairie Stadium. The tournament follows a double round-robin format, ensuring that every franchise faces off against their rivals twice, providing a fair yet grueling path to the playoffs. Every match carries significant weight, with two points awarded for a win, while Net Run Rate looms as a potential deciding factor for those fighting for a spot in the top four.
Tournament Structure and Stakes
The intensity of the league stage is designed to filter out the contenders from the pretenders. Once the initial phase concludes, the top four teams enter a high-pressure playoff system. The top two teams earn a second chance in the Qualifier, while the third and fourth-placed teams face a do-or-die Eliminator. The stakes are clear: one bad collapse or a single magnificent performance can reshape an entire campaign, moving teams from the brink of elimination to the championship final.
MLC 2026: Complete Squads of All 6 Teams
Below is the detailed roster for each franchise participating in the 2026 edition of the Major League Cricket.
MI New York (MINY)
Led by veteran Kieron Pollard, the squad features: Kieron Pollard (c), Quinton de Kock (WK), Ryan Rickelton (WK), Nicholas Pooran (WK), Monank Patel (WK), Agni Chopra, Tajinder Dhillon, Trent Boult, Sunny Patel, Nosthush Kenjige, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Tristan Luus, Rushil Ugarkar, Corey Anderson, Corbin Bosch, Romario Shepherd, Faisal Khan Ahmadzai, and Kunwarjeet Singh.
Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR)
The Knight Riders aim to dominate with the following lineup: Sunil Narine, Jason Holder (c), Alex Hales, Unmukt Chand, Saif Badar, Colin Munro, Andre Fletcher (WK), Nitish Kumar, Jahmar Hamilton (WK), Carmi le Roux, Kristopher Ramsaran, Ali Khan, Lloyd Pope, Andre Russell, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Karthik Gattepalli, and Matthew Tromp.
Texas Super Kings (TSK)
Captained by Faf du Plessis, the TSK roster includes: Faf du Plessis (c), Rilee Rossouw, Calvin Savage, Smit Patel (WK), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Joshua Tromp (WK), Adam Milne, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj, Hardus Viljoen, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Mohsin, Abhimanyu Lamba, Wiaan Mulder, Milind Kumar, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Ranjane, and Amshi de Silva.
Washington Freedom (WF)
The Freedom look to capitalize on a star-studded group: Steve Smith (c), Mark Chapman, Mukhtar Ahmed, Lahiru Milantha (WK), Andries Gous (WK), Lockie Ferguson, Ben Dwarshuis, Amila Aponso, Saurabh Netravalkar, Asif Mehmood, Abhishek Paradkar, Yasir Mohammad, Glenn Maxwell, Rachin Ravindra, Obus Pienaar, Ian Holland, Marco Jansen, Nikhil Chaudhary, Jack Edwards, and Mitchell Owen.
San Francisco Unicorns (SFU)
The Unicorns boast a versatile side: Finn Allen (WK), Zia-ul-Haq, Connor Esterhuizen, Saideep Ganesh (WK), Sanjay Krishnamurthy, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (WK), Ollie Peake, Aakarshit Gomel, Xavier Bartlett, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Ilyas, Juanoy Drysdale, Ravichandran Ashwin, Hassan Khan, Hammad Azam, Matthew Short (c), Aaron Hardie, and Anirudh Immanuel.
Seattle Orcas (SO)
Rounding out the group, the Orcas feature: Shimron Hetmyer, Shehan Jayasuriya, Tim Seifert (WK), Shayan Jahangir, Matthew Breetzke, Sujit Nayak, Sharad Lumba, Rahul Jariwala (WK), Tim Robinson, Cameron Gannon, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman, Harmeet Singh, Tanveer Sangha, Jasdeep Singh, Ayan Desai, Dasun Shanaka, Marcus Stoinis (c), and Ali Sheikh.
As the tournament progresses, these squads will be tested on their depth, adaptability, and ability to handle the mounting pressure of a professional league. With talent spanning global cricketing stars and emerging local prospects, MLC 2026 is rapidly cementing its place in the world cricket calendar.
