Major League Cricket (MLC) is the professional U.S. franchise league for Twenty20 cricket. Six teams played a short regular season and four playoff games in 2026, and the Los Angeles Knight Riders won the title. For a future game, check the official fixture list for the venue and the U.S. broadcaster.
What Is Major League Cricket?
Major League Cricket launched in 2023 as a professional franchise T20 competition in the United States. Its fourth season ran from June 18 to July 18, 2026. The clubs play for a domestic league title. Team USA is separate and plays international cricket.
Which Six Teams Play in Major League Cricket?
Six franchises played in 2026:
| 2026 franchise | City or area |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Knight Riders | Los Angeles |
| MI New York | New York |
| San Francisco Unicorns | San Francisco |
| Seattle Orcas | Seattle |
| Texas Super Kings | Dallas area, Texas |
| Washington Freedom | Washington, D.C. area |
The MI in MI New York is part of the official name. Indian Premier League fans will recognize some of the branding, but the IPL is a separate tournament.
How Does an MLC Season Work?
MLC plays Twenty20 cricket, or T20. Each side bats for up to 20 overs of six legal balls, so an innings has at most 120 legal balls. Wides and no-balls are extra deliveries that do not count toward the six.
On a scoreboard, 190/4 means 190 runs scored and four wickets lost. An innings can end early if a chase succeeds, all batters are dismissed or the match is shortened.
The 2026 regular season was a double round robin: every franchise faced the other five teams twice. Each team played 10 matches, which made 30 regular-season matches. The top four teams then went on to four playoff games, 34 matches in all.
With only 10 games each, every regular-season result counts. For the wider differences between cricket formats, see T20, ODI and Test cricket.
How Do the MLC Playoffs Work?
The top two teams got two chances to reach the Final. First and second place met in the Qualifier, and the winner went straight to the Final. Third and fourth played the Eliminator, and the loser was out. The Eliminator winner then faced the Qualifier loser in the Challenger for the other place in the Final.
| 2026 playoff | Scores | Winner and next step |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier | LA Knight Riders 187/3; SF Unicorns 180/4 | LA Knight Riders, by 7 runs; into Final |
| Eliminator | MI New York 266/9; Washington Freedom 270/4 (18.4 overs) | Washington Freedom, by 6 wickets; into Challenger |
| Challenger | Washington Freedom 238/6; SF Unicorns 231/6 | Washington Freedom, by 7 runs; into Final |
| Final | LA Knight Riders 164 all out (19.4 overs); Washington Freedom 163/9 (20 overs) | LA Knight Riders, by 1 run; champions |
LA Knight Riders won their first MLC championship at Oakland Coliseum on July 18, 2026.
In the Final, 19.4 overs means 19 completed overs plus four legal balls. The Knight Riders lost their last wicket at that point, as the Washington Freedom final scorecard shows.
Where Are MLC Games Played?
Six city-branded franchises played at three actual host venues in 2026.
| 2026 host venue | Location | What was played there |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium | Grand Prairie, Texas | Opening leg and later regular-season matches |
| Oakland Coliseum | Oakland, California | Regular-season leg and all four playoff games |
| Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex | Pomona, California | Southern California regular-season leg |
Opening day was June 18 in Grand Prairie. Play moved to Oakland starting June 24, then to Pomona from July 1, and later returned to Texas before the July 15 to July 18 playoffs in Oakland. The official MLC fixture announcement provides the itinerary.
The Los Angeles Knight Riders played in their home market for the first time at Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, from July 1, 2026.
One r/MLC commenter questioned whether a permanent ground in every franchise city makes sense for such a short season:
Does it make sense to built a permanent home venue for each team if it'll only get used 5-7 days over a four week period? And there's a lot of cross country travel, so I imagine each team would have to go on an extended road trip, so your home games might be bunched up, so teams couldn't be able to spread their 5 home games evenly.
What Is Watching an MLC Match Like?
On June 28, 2026, a first-time attendee watched a T20 chase at Oakland Coliseum. Washington Freedom made 190/4 from 20 overs; San Francisco Unicorns reached 193/2 after 15.1 overs to win by eight wickets.
San Francisco needed 191 to win. Lhuan-dre Pretorius hit 66 from 26 balls and Finn Allen made 45 from 18, and the two of them set the pace of the chase.
The Unicorns chase was ridiculous. Finn Allen scoring 45 off 18 would normally be the innings everyone talked about, but Lhuan-dre Pretorius somehow made even that look almost measured. He hit 66 off 26, and the thing that stood out live was not just the scoring rate, but the feeling that he was treating good balls with complete disdain. It was proper power hitting.
That chase used 91 legal balls out of the possible 120. The cricket scoreboard guide explains these figures in other match situations.
How Is MLC Different from Minor League Cricket and Team USA?
| Competition | Who plays | Why follow |
|---|---|---|
| Major League Cricket | Professional U.S. franchises with domestic and overseas players | Franchise T20 matches and the MLC title |
| Minor League Cricket | Domestic teams in a separate player-development competition | Broader U.S. cricket and emerging players |
| Team USA | Players selected to represent the United States internationally | National-team fixtures and international tournaments |
MLC's announcement for MiLC described a 62-match program beginning September 17, 2026, after MLC's 34-match 2026 tournament. MiLC is part of the domestic development pathway.
The International Cricket Council suspended USA Cricket's membership on September 23, 2025. In a December 22, 2025 ICC statement, the ICC said it had taken over domestic-event sanctioning during the suspension. For the full range of domestic competition, including local clubs, see cricket leagues in the United States.
How Can U.S. Fans Follow the Next MLC Season?
Willow Sports, also called Willow by Cricbuzz, was named for U.S. viewing in 2026. Each new season needs its own fixture, ticket and broadcast information.
- Find the season's fixtures. Use the official MLC website for that season's team and match listings, then note the host stadium, city and local match date before arranging travel.
- Confirm U.S. viewing rights. Look for the platform authorized in the United States for that season before paying for access. The guide to watching MLC in the USA covers that separate choice.
