MLC 2026: MI New York Team Profile — Champions Defend

MI New York start MLC 2026 as defending champions for the second time in three seasons — and as the most consistently funded franchise in the league. The Mumbai Indians-backed side beat Washington Freedom by five runs in the MLC 2025 final at Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas, and now arrive at the season-four start line with a roster designed to defend, not rebuild. Kieron Pollard captains; Nicholas Pooran is the marquee batter; Trent Boult opens the bowling. Defending an MLC title with that core is the kind of project that justifies the franchise valuation.

A note on the Lariats. This article was originally briefed to cover an "MI New York Lariats" team profile. There is no MLC franchise by the name "Lariats" — the six 2026 sides are MI New York, Washington Freedom, Texas Super Kings, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas and Los Angeles Knight Riders, per the official 2026 MLC season schedule. This piece deep-dives MI New York, the defending champions, and flags the Lariats as a confirmed naming error.

Quick facts

• Founded: 2023, with Reliance / Mumbai Indians as the principal owner under the IndianOil Mumbai Indians group's franchise expansion.
• Home venue: Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Texas (home base for the franchise's MLC 2026 fixtures, with select matches at Oakland Coliseum).
• Captain: Kieron Pollard. Per MI New York's official press release, Pollard returns as captain after leading the squad through the 2025 title.
• Coach: Shane Bond (head coach), with the wider MI group's analytics staff embedded in the franchise's preparation.
• Defending champions: Yes — MI New York beat Washington Freedom by five runs in the MLC 2025 final, claiming their second title in three seasons.
• MLC 2026 dates: 18 June to 18 July 2026, per the MLC 2026 schedule release.

The roster: who is on the books for MLC 2026

Per MI New York's official squad listing and the MLC 2026 squads roundup, the 2026 group is:

International marquees (overseas slots).

• Kieron Pollard (captain, all-rounder, West Indies) — the franchise's 2025 captain returns. Mid-30s but still a power-hitting middle-order option and a useful sixth bowler.
• Nicholas Pooran (wicketkeeper-batter, West Indies) — the league's most consistent batter across MLC 2024-25, and the heir apparent to the captaincy when Pollard finally winds down.
• Trent Boult (left-arm seamer, New Zealand) — new-ball spearhead. Boult's record in T20 leagues is unimpeachable; the Powerplay-overs reliance on him is the franchise's biggest single tactical lever.
• Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper-batter, South Africa) — second wicketkeeper, with the option to play as a top-order batter when Pooran moves down to four.
• Romario Shepherd (all-rounder, West Indies) — death-overs hitter and mid-pace bowler.
• Corbin Bosch (all-rounder, South Africa) — the breakout SA20 name who fits the second-seamer slot.
• Ryan Rickelton (wicketkeeper-batter, South Africa) — the explosive top-order option, with big-hitting credentials from SA20 and IPL 2026.
• Allah Ghazanfar (mystery spinner, Afghanistan) — the wild card. Ghazanfar's mystery deliveries have caused IPL 2026 batters problems and the MLC 2026 surfaces should suit him.
• Tristan Luus (right-arm seamer, South Africa) — back-up new-ball option.

Retained domestic (USA-eligible) players. Monank Patel (USA national captain), Nosthush Kenjige, Tajinder Singh, Rushil Ugarkar, Sunny Patel, Kunwarjeet Singh, Agni Chopra. The domestic core is what gives MI New York roster depth across a 30-day league — the franchise's drafted USA players are mostly multi-year contracts.

Draft additions for 2026. Corey Anderson (the New Zealand-born now USA-eligible all-rounder) and Faisal Khan Ahmadzai joined through the 2026 draft.

Captaincy: Pollard back at the wheel

Kieron Pollard's third year as MI New York captain is the most-watched leadership story in the franchise. Per the franchise announcement, the 2026 captaincy was confirmed in the spring, ending speculation that Pooran would take over as the defending champions returned.

Pollard's case is straightforward: he won the 2024 and 2025 titles, the dressing room is settled around him, and the MI group's wider organisational template (used at Mumbai Indians in IPL and at MI Cape Town in SA20) is built around long-tenure captaincy. The bigger question is whether Pollard's batting position holds at four through the league or moves to six as Pooran and Rickelton take more of the top-order workload.

Tactical fit: how this XI wins

A working MI New York XI for the opening match-day looks something like:

1. Quinton de Kock (wk)
2. Ryan Rickelton
3. Nicholas Pooran (vc)
4. Kieron Pollard (c)
5. Romario Shepherd
6. Monank Patel
7. Corbin Bosch
8. Allah Ghazanfar
9. Trent Boult
10. Tristan Luus / Rushil Ugarkar
11. Nosthush Kenjige

That XI gives the franchise four genuine all-rounder options, two specialist new-ball seamers, two wrist-spin options if the surface helps, and a wicketkeeping pair so the side can rotate through a 30-day window. The Powerplay strategy is straightforward: Boult and Bosch take the new ball, with Boult bowling four overs through the first six and the death.

What MLC 2026 will demand

The league has matured fast. Three structural changes that pressure MI New York's title defence:

1. Six teams, 34 matches, three venues. A tighter window than IPL or SA20, played across Grand Prairie (Texas), Oakland Coliseum (California) and the new Knight Riders Cricket Field at the Fairplex Pomona, per the MLC 2026 schedule. Travel logistics matter more in MLC than in any other T20 league.
2. The June heat in Texas. Day games at Grand Prairie in June-July push toward 38°C / 100°F afternoon temperatures. Boult's workload management through the league will be the most-watched fitness story.
3. The Washington Freedom rebuild. The 2025 finalists were the only team to take MI New York to the final ball; their off-season recruitment is the closest thing the league has to a direct counter to the MI roster.

Season expectations

MI New York are the favourites for MLC 2026. The realistic ceiling is a third title in four seasons; the realistic floor is a top-three playoff finish. The franchise has the marquee international names, the domestic depth, and the captaincy continuity to expect both.

What would derail the title defence: a Boult injury at the wrong end of the league, an MLC 2026 surface trend that punishes the all-rounder-heavy template, or Washington Freedom finally turning their squad assembly into wins.

For the wider league context, see the MLC 2026 schedule overview on cricjosh and the Allah Ghazanfar MI mystery spinner profile — both inform how the MI group's wider analytical template carries across leagues.

The verdict

MI New York are the league's gold-standard franchise: well-funded, well-coached, and well-led. Pollard has one more season of captaincy in him; Pooran's prime as a finisher has another two years of runway. The 2026 title is theirs to lose.

FAQ

When does MLC 2026 start?

Major League Cricket 2026 runs from 18 June to 18 July 2026, with 34 matches across Grand Prairie (Texas), Oakland Coliseum and Knight Riders Cricket Field at the Fairplex Pomona.

Who is the MI New York captain for MLC 2026?

Kieron Pollard, returning for his third season as captain after leading the franchise to the 2025 title.

Are MI New York the defending champions?

Yes — MI New York beat Washington Freedom by five runs in the MLC 2025 final, their second MLC title in three seasons.

Is there a "Lariats" franchise in MLC 2026?

No. The six MLC 2026 franchises are MI New York, Washington Freedom, Texas Super Kings, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas and Los Angeles Knight Riders. There is no "Lariats" team.

Where does MI New York play home matches?

MI New York's primary home venue is Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Texas, with select fixtures at Oakland Coliseum and the new Knight Riders Cricket Field at the Fairplex Pomona.

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— Jordan Reid, CricJosh Caribbean & Emerging Markets correspondent. May 2026.