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 highly anticipated fourth season. The buzz surrounding the 2026 edition has reached new heights, with fans across the United States eagerly awaiting the first ball. Running from June 18 to July 18, the tournament features six powerhouse franchises competing across elite venues in Texas and California. While the season is short in duration, it is packed with high-octane action, perfectly catering to the fast-paced nature of modern T20 cricket.
MLC 2026. (Credits: X.com)
The tournament opened with a fiery encounter between the Texas Super Kings and the Seattle Orcas at the iconic Grand Prairie Stadium. The competition follows a rigorous double round-robin format, ensuring that every team faces their opponents twice. In this high-stakes environment, every point matters. A victory earns a team two points, while a no-result or abandonment offers a single point. With the Net Run Rate often acting as the decisive factor in the league standings, a single collapse or a dominant win can drastically alter a franchise’s path to the playoffs.
The Road to the Final
Once the intense league stage concludes, the top four teams will advance to a high-pressure playoff system. The top two teams earn a vital second chance through the Qualifier, while the third and fourth-placed teams face a do-or-die Eliminator. The structure is designed to heighten the drama, ensuring that only the most consistent and resilient sides survive to compete in the grand final. MLC 2026 has successfully transitioned from an exhibition-style showcase into a legitimate, top-tier competitive league where the pressure is palpable and the talent is world-class.
MLC 2026: Complete Squads of All 6 Teams
The depth of talent across all six rosters is a testament to the growth of the sport. Below are the finalized squads for the 2026 season:
- MI New York (MINY): 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): 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): 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): 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): 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): 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 define the narrative of the 2026 season. With world-class captains and a mix of seasoned veterans and hungry prospects, the competition remains as unpredictable as it is thrilling.
