MLC 2026: Here Are the Complete Squads of Every Franchise
The Return of Cricket Excellence
Major League Cricket (MLC) has officially returned for its highly anticipated fourth season. The buzz surrounding the 2026 edition is palpable, proving that cricket is rapidly carving out a permanent home in the American sporting landscape. Running from June 18 to July 18, the tournament features six powerhouse franchises competing across iconic venues in Texas and California. It is a competition that remains short on duration but incredibly heavy on action—the quintessential recipe for modern T20 cricket enthusiasts.
MLC 2026. (Credits: X.com)
The intensity began immediately with a marquee opening clash between the Texas Super Kings and the Seattle Orcas at the Grand Prairie Stadium. The tournament structure follows a robust double round-robin format, ensuring that every franchise has ample opportunity to test their mettle against the rest of the field. In this format, every match is critical; with two points awarded for a win and the ever-looming threat of Net Run Rate acting as both a potential savior and a silent antagonist, the margin for error is razor-thin.
The Path to the Championship
As the league stage progresses, the tension will only escalate. Once the initial phase concludes, the top four teams will advance to a high-stakes playoff system designed to separate the contenders from the pretenders. The top two teams earn a vital second chance through the Qualifier, while the third and fourth-placed teams must navigate a high-pressure, knockout Eliminator. From there, it is a straight path to the final, where the championship dream will be realized for one lucky franchise.
MLC 2026 has shed the early perceptions of being an exhibition-style league. It has evolved into a highly competitive, professional environment where the pressure to perform is significant. The structure is designed to reward consistency, but as history has shown, one major collapse or one spectacular victory can alter the trajectory of an entire season.
MLC 2026: Complete Squads of All 6 Teams
The talent pool for the 2026 season is deeper than ever, featuring a blend of global superstars and rising domestic talents. Below are the finalized rosters for all six competing franchises.
MI New York (MINY)
Led by the veteran Kieron Pollard, the squad includes: 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)
Captained by Jason Holder, the Knight Riders feature: 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)
Under the leadership of Faf du Plessis, the Super Kings boast a strong lineup: 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)
With Steve Smith at the helm, the Washington squad includes: 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 lineup 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)
Guided by Marcus Stoinis, the Orcas roster 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, and Dasun Shanaka.
As the tournament reaches its business end, these squads will be tested to their absolute limits. Whether it is the tactical acumen of the captains or the individual brilliance of the international stars, MLC 2026 promises to deliver a masterclass in modern cricket.
