India great Ravichandran Ashwin to play for San Francisco team in Major League Cricket

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — India great Ravichandran Ashwin signed a contract to play for the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket, the team announced Saturday.

Modeled on the hugely popular Indian Premier League, MLC is an annual Twenty20 tournament that launched three years ago in a bid to tap into the U.S. market.

The 39-year-old allrounder retired from international cricket in December 2024 after having played 106 tests for India, taking 537 wickets and hitting six test hundreds.

The Unicorns' announcement said Ashwin will become the first-ever India-capped player to compete in the league, a monthlong tournament that starts June 18.

A spinner, Ashwin made 65 appearances in T20 international matches.

In the IPL, he played for his hometown Chennai Super Kings and several other franchises.

“Signed for his world-class spin bowling and strong tactical acumen, Ashwin brings the Unicorns a significant leadership asset on and off the pitch, as well as being a household name set to thrill Major League Cricket and resonate strongly with the Bay Area’s large South Asian community, further strengthening the franchise’s connection to one of cricket’s most passionate fan bases,” the Unicorns said in their announcement.

Ashwin added: “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.”

The league is comprised of six teams — the Unicorns, Los Angeles Knight Riders, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, MI New York and Washington Freedom. Games, however, are played in just three locations: Grand Prairie Stadium near Dallas; the Oakland Coliseum; and Knight Riders Cricket Field in Pomona, California.

Several of the MLC teams have IPL ownership links. There's interest in the other direction, too, as American investors are buying stakes in two IPL teams.

Cricket has been added to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

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