R Ashwin teams up with Pakistan's Haris Rauf at San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026
Major League Cricket 2026: R Ashwin has signed for the San Francisco Unicorns and will team up with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, who has been with the franchise since the inaugural edition in 2023.
Haris Rauf and R Ashwin will play for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026. Courtesy: SFU/PTI
Former India all-rounder R Ashwin has signed for the San Francisco Unicorns for MLC 2026. Ashwin will join Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, who has been with the Unicorns since the inaugural edition in 2023. This also marks Ashwin’s second stint as a T20 freelancer after he was signed by Sydney Thunder for the Big Bash League 2025-26.
At Sydney Thunder, Ashwin was set to play alongside Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan. However, he missed the tournament due to a knee injury. Ashwin later confirmed that he had undergone surgery for the issue, although he did not reveal when the injury occurred or when the procedure took place.
On March 26, the Unicorns announced their retentions for the upcoming season, naming Matt Short, Finn Allen, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Haris Rauf, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Hassan Khan, Brody Couch, Hammad Azam, and Juanoy Drysdale.
Short will captain the side in the upcoming season, which is scheduled to begin on June 16. The Unicorns will start their campaign on June 19 against the Los Angeles Knight Riders at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
Haris Rauf has been a key bowler for the Unicorns and is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history. In 22 matches, the Pakistan pacer has claimed 28 wickets at an economy rate of 8.91, including two four-wicket hauls. Rauf is currently playing for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League 2026.
Ashwin, on the other hand, has not played any form of cricket since July 2025, when he represented the Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. Back in December 2024, Ashwin retired from international cricket after the Boxing Day Test against Australia, and in August 2025, he also called time on his Indian domestic career.
The Unicorns are yet to win the title after three seasons in the tournament. They reached the playoffs last year but were knocked out by MI New York in the Eliminator. In 2024, they finished runners-up after losing to Washington Freedom in the final.
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