Ravichandran Ashwin will turn out for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket next summer, his first T20 stint outside the IPL after a long and, at times, winding career in Indian colours.
The 39-year-old off-spinner, who quit international cricket in late 2024 and bowed out of the IPL the following season, agreed terms earlier this week. The deal means he becomes, rather remarkably, the first former India international to join the fledgling US competition.
Ashwin had flirted with an overseas move before. A contract with Sydney Thunder for the 2025-26 Big Bash looked nailed on until a troublesome knee forced surgery and, ultimately, a withdrawal. This time he is fit – and, by the sound of it, genuinely intrigued.
“Just looking at the reception that the Asian diaspora was able to bring for that game just showed me what the potential of American cricket could very well be,” Ashwin told ESPN on Saturday. “It’s very exciting.”
The comment refers to a recent exhibition match in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, a fixture that drew a bigger crowd than many county games in England manage these days. The buzz, he felt, was worth pursuing.
Key details first
• Competition: Major League Cricket, season four (July 2026).
• Team: San Francisco Unicorns, still chasing their maiden title.
• Role: Senior pro and, almost certainly, mentor to a young spin group.
Why it matters
For the league, snagging a player of Ashwin’s stature is a small statement of intent. Johnny Grave, MLC’s chief executive, pulled no punches: “This will be the first time he’s played in a major global franchise competition outside of India,” he told ESPN. “And for us to be the first league to attract a player of this calibre is a testament to how the league’s developed over the last three years since it was launched back in 2023.”
Numbers in brief
• 197 IPL wickets, seventh-most overall.
• 64 T20I wickets for India.
• Two IPL titles – but none since 2011.
USA’s wider cricket push
The United States will host cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and boardroom chat already hints at expanded facilities, extra academies and fresh investment. Three of MLC’s six franchises are tied to IPL ownership – MI New York, Texas Super Kings and LA Knight Riders – while Rajasthan Royals has just been bought by a US-led group fronted by tech entrepreneur Kal Somani.
Grave argues that such cross-ownership has raised the sport’s profile in boardrooms well beyond cricket’s usual orbit. “All of this news flowed for the last few years has just meant that cricket is now more known to Americans,” he said. “And certainly when we go around talking to business partners, leaders, counties, cities, people have at least heard of cricket now.”
A personal itch to scratch
Ashwin, never shy of exploring new angles – remember the carrom ball, the leg-break experiments, even the brief stint opening in Tests – is keen to experience a fresh dressing-room culture.
“The fact that there is so much interest from the kids and from a lot of people who have come and settled in America and showing so much interest towards the game, I just wanted to come and experience what it is going to look like when we turn up for the MLC,” he said.
That line speaks to another trend: Indian-origin youngsters in the US – many second-generation immigrants – now see cricket as a genuine sporting option, not merely weekend recreation.
Former India Under-19 players Monank Patel and Harmeet Singh have already taken the USA route, qualifying for the national side and featuring in past MLC campaigns. Ashwin’s arrival will only sharpen that pathway, though at 39 he is clearly not in it for a USA cap.
Unicorns’ perspective
San Francisco finished mid-table last term and have chopped and changed their overseas spots. They hope Ashwin’s strategic nous translates into tight overs in the powerplay and, perhaps more importantly, steady advice for young bowlers wrestling with two-paced American tracks.
One coach, speaking on background, reckoned the move is “as much about brains as balls-in-hand”, a slightly clunky phrase that nonetheless captures where the franchise sits: talent in place, guidance required.
Cautious optimism
Ashwin’s knees have been uncooperative of late and workload management will be key; MLC spans just three weeks but travel and summer heat are not trivial. A shorter season, though, arguably suits a veteran looking to extend his playing days without the grind of a 14-game IPL schedule.
Big picture
If cricket is to gain a real foothold in the US, seeing recognised names on scorecards will help. Ashwin alone will not move the needle nationwide – American sports fans are a tough crowd – yet his signature adds another tile to a slowly forming mosaic.
Plenty could still go wrong: US cricket politics remain lively, stadium deals can fall through, and casual spectators may choose baseball over a sport they barely know. For now, though, a seasoned Indian spinner is willing to give it a go, and that feels like progress.
No parade, no hyperbole – just a sensible step that might, in time, look rather significant.
