The official dates of Major League Cricket‘s (MLC) fourth season are set for June 18–July 18, 2026. The 34-match format of the six-team T20 tournament, which has been in place since 2025, will return. However, a lot of people are worried about the governance between the league’s operators, American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), and USA Cricket (USAC).
Even with MLC’s increasing popularity, the USAC-ACE contractual issue continues to garner a lot of attention. There has been no public indication as of yet as to whether USAC’s decision to cancel its relationship with ACE has been overturned.
Concerns were recently expressed by Corey Anderson, a former cricket player from New Zealand who is currently the operational director of the USA Cricketers’ Association, an organisation that is not officially recognised by USAC. In light of the league’s growing importance as a platform for local cricket players, he highlighted how the continuous uncertainty jeopardises player security and long-term planning.
MLC has grown in size and popularity.
MLC has grown in size and popularity since its founding in 2023. In 2024, the competition expanded from 19 games to 25 games, and by 2025, it had grown to 34 games. The choice to switch to a June–July window starting with Season 3 was thoughtfully made. MLC has been able to draw in a larger number of international players by avoiding conflicts with other international franchise leagues.
“Season 3 demonstrated that the USA’s hunger for elite cricket is In a statement, MLC CEO Johnny Grave remarked, “Season 3 demonstrated that demand for top-tier cricket in the USA is real and accelerating.” “MLC is gaining more viewers, fans, and followers both domestically and internationally. According to ESPNcricinfo, Johnny Grave, the CEO of MLC, stated, “We’re fulfilling our commitment to expand the game throughout the USA and cultivate relationships with both new and current commercial partners.”
ACE, the league’s ownership group, has unveiled bold future plans. Notably, it plans to invest more than USD 150 million to construct ten international-caliber cricket stadiums throughout the United States by 2030.
The Los Angeles Knight Riders, Michigan New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and Washington Freedom are the six teams that have been confirmed for the 2026 campaign. In the future, MLC intends to grow to eight teams by 2027, and there are currently plans to extend the competition to Canada.
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