MLC 2026: Here Are the Complete Squads of Every Franchise
The Return of Major League Cricket: A New Chapter
Major League Cricket (MLC) has officially returned for its highly anticipated fourth season, and the energy surrounding the competition is palpable. Kicking off on June 18 and scheduled to conclude on July 18, the 2026 edition features six powerhouse franchises battling for supremacy across iconic venues in Texas and California. While the tournament duration remains concise, the intensity of the action is immense, perfectly catering to the demands of modern T20 cricket enthusiasts.
MLC 2026. (Credits: X.com)
The tournament opened with a riveting clash between the Texas Super Kings and the Seattle Orcas at the Grand Prairie Stadium, setting the tone for a month of high-stakes cricket. The league employs a robust double round-robin format, ensuring that every team faces their rivals twice. With two points awarded for a win and Net Run Rate playing a pivotal role in the final standings, every ball bowled and every run scored carries significant weight.
Tournament Structure and Playoff Stakes
As the tournament progresses through the league stage, the pressure mounts. The top four teams will advance to a rigorous playoff system designed to reward consistency. The top two teams earn a second chance through the Qualifier, while the third and fourth-placed sides engage in a high-pressure Eliminator. This structure ensures that the path to the final is paved with drama and excellence, elevating the league beyond an exhibition showcase into a truly elite competitive environment.
MLC 2026: Complete Squads of All 6 Teams
Success in T20 cricket often boils down to roster depth and strategic balance. Below are the finalized squads for all six franchises participating in the 2026 season:
MI New York (MINY)
Led by the legendary Kieron Pollard, the squad features: 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)
Under the leadership of Jason Holder, the LAKR lineup includes: Sunil Narine, 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)
With Faf du Plessis at the helm, the TSK roster is composed of: 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)
Steve Smith leads a talented group including: 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)
Captained by Matthew Short, the Unicorns squad features: 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, Aaron Hardie, and Anirudh Immanuel.
Seattle Orcas (SO)
Marcus Stoinis leads the Orcas, with a lineup that includes: 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, and Ali Sheikh.
With such world-class talent spread across these rosters, MLC 2026 is poised to deliver some of the most competitive cricket seen on American soil to date. Fans should keep a close watch on the points table as the race for the playoffs intensifies.
