San Francisco: Ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is all set to become the first Indian playing to feature in Major League Cricket (MLC) after signing with the San Francisco Unicorns for the 2026 season.
Ashwin was a member of the Indian team winning the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. In all, he picked 765 international wickets from 287 matches across all three formats and remains the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket’s history.
“The MLC has proven over recent seasons that it can put on a show, bringing in world-class players and offering significant exposure to US domestic cricket talent, and the opportunity to be a part of it with the San Francisco Unicorns was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
“Taking on the mantle as the first Indian-capped player to compete in Major League Cricket is a major responsibility that I fully embrace. My absolute focus is to help this franchise win games and push for its first Championship, while also putting on a spectacular brand of cricket for the Bay Area fans,” said Ashwin in a statement.
Ashwin is also one of the top five wicket-takers in IPL history, having represented his home franchise, the Chennai Super Kings, as well as Rising Pune Supergiants, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and the Delhi Capitals. He was supposed to play for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL), before a knee injury ruled him out of the competition.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome a player of Ashwin’s stature to the Unicorns. When you talk about match-winners and cricketing intelligence, his name is at the top of the list around the world.
“Bringing in the first Indian-capped player is a massive moment for our franchise and MLC as a whole, but first and foremost, he’s joining to help us win games. His experience in high-pressure situations and his skill variations will be invaluable on the pitch and in the nets, and I can’t wait to get into camp and start working with him,” said head coach Cameron White.
San Francisco Unicorns’ will begin their season on June 19 against LA Knight Riders at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, near Dallas, Texas, with the tournament culminating at the franchise’s home ground, the Oakland Coliseum, on July 18.
The franchise previously retained captain Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Finn Allen and Haris Rauf from its overseas players roster. The domestic retentions include Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Hassan Khan, Brody Couch, Juanoy Drysdale and Hammad Azam.
(IANS)
