Today, June 13, marks the start of the eagerly awaited Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 season. The exciting first match features the reigning champions, Washington Freedom, and the San Francisco Unicorns at the Oakland Coliseum. This season should feature high-octane T20 action with six exciting teams competing at three venues in the US: Oakland Coliseum, Grand Prairie Stadium, and Central Broward Regional Park.
Team Rosters and Key Players for MLC 2025
1. Washington Freedom
– Captain: Glenn Maxwell (with Steve Smith captaining during both of his games)
– Key Players: Lockie Ferguson, Travis Head, Andries Gous, Akeal Hosein, Saurabh Netravalkar
– Coach: Greg Shipperd
– Team Overview: The Freedom enters the tournament as defending champions and has a strong roster. With Maxwell at the helm, along with some solid players around him, expect them to have an impact this season.
2. San Francisco Unicorns
– Captain: Corey Anderson
– Key Players: Pat Cummins, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Finn Allen, Liam Plunkett, Haris Rauf
– Coach: Shane Watson
– Team Overview: The Unicorns finished 5th in 2023 and have improved with the addition of Australian pacer Pat Cummins. They have a talented batting lineup and are a team to watch with experienced bowlers.
3. MI New York
– Captain: Nicholas Pooran
– Key Players: Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Tim David, Trent Boult
– Coach: Robin Peterson
– Overview: MI New York was the first Champions of the MLC and remains a big threat. They have a combination of destructive batting and very tight bowling that they will bring to try and win their second MLC title.
4. Seattle Orcas
– Captain: Heinrich Klaasen
– Key Players: Quinton de Kock, Imad Wasim, Cameron Gannon, Aaron Jones, Zaman Khan
– Coach: Matthew Mott
– Overview: The Orcas narrowly lost in the final in 2023 and have a strong carry-over team. The Orcas are a well-balanced team with equally capable batting and bowling.
5. Texas Super Kings
– Captain: Faf du Plessis
– Key Players: Devon Conway, Aiden Markram, Daryl Mitchell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Santner
– Coach: Stephen Fleming
– Overview: After losing in the semi-final of MLC, the Super Kings boast one of the most experienced sides of the league, and with Faf du Plessis leading them with several strong international players available, they will be tough to beat.
6. Los Angeles Knight Riders
– Captain: Jason Holder (with Sunil Narine covering two games)
– Key Players: Dwayne Bravo, Shakib Al Hasan, Adam Zampa, David Miller
– Coach: Dwayne Bravo
– Overview: The Knight Riders will be looking to make an impact this season with both seasoned internationals and exciting young players.
Match Preview: Washington Freedom vs. San Francisco Unicorns
Opening matches set the example for what looks to be a highly entertaining season. Washington Freedom will look to defend its title with a good squad and strong leadership. The San Francisco Unicorns will look to start off their inaugural season by winning their first game-with the addition of Pat Cummins to their squad. Both teams have explosive batting talents as well as a strong bowling attack, and we can expect a close contest.
Where to Watch
Indian fans can catch all the live coverage of MLC 2025 on Star Sports and JioHotstar. In the USA, matches will be live on Willow TV. Local broadcasts for the San Francisco Unicorn matches will be available on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California.
Participate in the Game on Kheloexch
If you’re a cricket fan who wants to elevate your experience, there is a gaming platform called Kheloexch for you. The platform offers a Kheloexch Login to enter different games and the possibility of betting. New users can Kheloexch Signup as well. The platform can be downloaded for mobile devices as the Kheloexch app for iOS and Android devices. Once you have created your profile, you can explore anything and everything Khelo Exchange has to offer. If you are a pro or a rookie, it allows you to enjoy the game fully.
Conclusion
The MLC 2025 season promises to be enthralling to the audience for its uniquely combined experience of international cricketing talent with growing love for the game in the United States. With each team providing differing capabilities, the audience should expect a month full of matches and adventures. Please stay tuned and enjoy!