MLC 2026: Here Are the Complete Squads of Every Franchise
The Return of Major League Cricket: A New Era
Major League Cricket (MLC) has officially returned for its fourth season, and the anticipation surrounding the tournament is at an all-time high. Kicking off on June 18 and set to conclude on July 18, 2026, the league has cemented its place in the global cricketing calendar. With six franchises battling it out across premium venues in Texas and California, the tournament promises a month of high-intensity T20 action designed to capture the imagination of modern cricket fans.
MLC 2026. (Credits: X.com)
The competition began with a blockbuster 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 team faces their rivals twice. In a format where every point counts, the importance of Net Run Rate cannot be overstated, often serving as the deciding factor in close playoff races. With the top four teams advancing to a high-stakes playoff system featuring both a Qualifier and an Eliminator, the path to the final is paved with both tactical brilliance and immense pressure.
MLC 2026: Complete Squads of All 6 Teams
The depth and quality of players in the 2026 season reflect the growing stature of cricket in the United States. Below are the comprehensive squads for all six 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)
Under the captaincy of Jason Holder, the team features: 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)
Captain Faf du Plessis leads a strong lineup comprising: 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 takes the helm, supported by: 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)
Led by captain Matthew Short, the 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 captains a robust team including: 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.
As the tournament progresses, these squads will be tested by the unique conditions found across American venues. Fans can expect nothing short of excellence as these teams strive to lift the 2026 trophy. Whether it is explosive batting or disciplined bowling, the MLC 2026 season is shaping up to be a defining moment for the sport in the region.
Vivaan Sharma is a senior cricket analyst based in Hyderabad known for his in-depth coverage of IPL strategy, bowling performance metrics, and advanced cricket statistics. He has worked with multiple sports media platforms to deliver analytical content for cricket fans and fantasy league followers.
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