New Delhi, Sep 10
Major League Cricket (MLC) fourth season is scheduled to begin on June 18, 2026 with the final taking place on July 18, 2026. The six-team competition will feature 34 games, the organisers said on Wednesday.
The six teams participating in the event are Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom.
The MLC is also planning to add two more teams by the 2027 season, with a move to Canada also being explored.
In season 3, a last-ball final at Grand Prairie saw MI New York defeat Washington Freedom by 5 runs, securing a second title in three years. On the field, Season 3 produced 18 team totals above 200, 5 last-ball finishes, and 7 centuries.
"Season 3 showed that demand for top-tier cricket in the U.S. is real and accelerating," said Johnny Grave, CEO of Major League Cricket. “MLC is winning new fans, followers and viewers throughout the USA and around the world. We’re delivering on our promise to grow the game across the USA and build relations with new and existing commercial partners.â€
American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the owner of the league, is targeting 10 international standard venues by 2030 with the investement surpassed USD 150 million.
"The next phase is further infrastructure investment. With ACE’s continued backing, our goal is to have 10 international standard venues by 2030, giving more fans access to world-class cricket and creating better environments for American players to develop. Finally, we look forward to bringing even more action and high-quality cricket next year, with MLC Season 4 starting June 18," Grave said.
Launched in 2023, MLC, cricket’s only ICC sanctioned domestic T20 franchise league in the United States, continues to build momentum both on pitch and off, with owners ACE confirming season 3 set new records for ticket sales, broadcast reach and digital engagement.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great to see the expansion plans! Hope they include more Indian players in the teams. The last-ball finishes in Season 3 were absolutely thrilling - reminded me of IPL excitement!
As someone new to cricket, I attended a match in Texas last season and was blown away by the energy! The Indian community really knows how to make it festive. Looking forward to 2026!
While I appreciate the growth of cricket in US, I hope they maintain the quality of the game. Sometimes expansion happens too fast and affects the standard. But 18 team totals above 200 is impressive!
The move to Canada would be amazing! Many Indian Canadians would love to have professional cricket closer to home. Hope they consider Toronto or Vancouver for the expansion teams.
$150 million investment is huge! This could really develop local American talent. Maybe we'll see USA competing better in ICC tournaments soon. Good for global cricket development.
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