MLC 2026 Winner (Source: X.com/@MLCricket)
Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) showed composure against Washington Freedom (WF) in a thrilling title clash of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum in California on Sunday morning.
The Knight Riders overcame four league-stage defeats to finish second in the points table. The team then defeated the San Francisco Unicorns in the Qualifier and outplayed Washington Freedom by only one run in the final to clinch the silverware in their first-ever knockout entry.
That being said, in this article, take a look at the list of winners in Major League Cricket, a professional T20 cricket league held in the United States.
MLC Winners list: 2023 to 2026
| Year | Winner | Winning Captain | Margin |
| 2023 | MI New York | Nicholas Pooran | Won by 7 wkts |
| 2024 | Washington Freedom | Steve Smith | Won by 96 runs |
| 2025 | MI New York | Nicholas Pooran | Won by 5 runs |
| 2026 | Los Angeles Knight Riders | Jason Holder | Won by 1 run |
MLC 2023: MI New York (Winner); Seattle Orcas (Runner-up)
In the inaugural Major League Cricket season, MINY were crowned champions after defeating the Seattle Orcas by 7 wickets in the final on July 30, 2023. The championship match took place at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
The Seattle Orcas batted first and scored 183 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Opener Quinton de Kock was the standout batter with 87 runs off 52 balls. Bowlers Trent Boult and Rashid Khan were lethal for MI New York, taking 3 wickets each.
Chasing a target of 184, MI New York reached 184/3 in just 16 overs. Stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran played a historic, unbeaten knock of 137 runs off only 55 balls to secure the win with 24 balls to spare. Pooran was named the player of the match for his incredible innings.
MLC 2024: Washington Freedom (Winner); San Francisco Unicorns (Runner-up)
The Washington Freedom comfortably defeated the San Francisco Unicorns by 96 runs at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas to claim the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 championship.
WF batted first and posted an imposing total of 207/5 in their 20 overs. Captain Steven Smith led from the front with a blistering knock of 88 runs off 52 balls. He was well-supported by Glenn Maxwell, who chipped in with a quickfire 40.
Also read: List Of All Award Winners In MLC 2026
In response, the Unicorns struggled against a disciplined Washington bowling attack. The team was bowled out for just 111 runs in 16 overs. Rachin Ravindra and Marco Jansen were the chief destroyers with the ball, taking three wickets each to dismantle the batting order.
MLC 2025: MI New York (Winner); Washington Freedom (Runner-up)
In the 2025 MLC final, MINY defeated Freedom by 5 runs at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas to win their second Major League Cricket title. Defending a total of 180/7, they restricted Washington Freedom to 175/5, overcoming a sluggish start where they won only one of their first seven matches.
MI New York batted first, posting a competitive 180/7 in their 20 overs, anchored by a stellar 77 off 46 balls from Quinton de Kock. During the run chase, Washington Freedom fell just 5 runs short despite a brilliant 70-run knock by Rachin Ravindra and a late 48 not out from Glenn Phillips.
Twenty-two-year-old Rushil Ugarkar was the star of the finale, holding his nerve to defend 12 runs in the tense final over to earn the Player of the Match honours. Mitchell Owen of Washington Freedom was named the Player of the Series.
MLC 2026: Los Angeles Knight Riders (Winner); Washington Freedom (Runner-up)
A maiden appearance in the MLC playoffs culminated in a maiden title for the Knight Riders in front of a substantial crowd of over 10,000 at Oakland Coliseum as LAKR wrapped up the MLC 2026 season with their eighth victory after managing just five wins across the previous three seasons.
Defending a total of 164, the Knight Riders restricted Washington Freedom to 163 for 9 in their 20 overs. The see-saw match came down to the very final over, where Washington needed 14 runs, but the Knight Riders' bowling attack held their nerve to close out the game.
Sunil Narine took home the Player of the Match and Most Valuable Player honours for his stellar performance throughout the tournament.
Also read: Where Does Shubman Gill Rank Among India's Worst Captains After 12 ODIs?
