Below are the lists for all six MLC teams with their released and retained players ahead of MLC 2025.
The stage is set for the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 draft as teams finalize their retentions and releases. This year’s roster shuffle has seen some major international stars, including Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Kagiso Rabada, and David Miller, being left out of the upcoming edition. With franchises aiming for strategic changes, here’s a comprehensive look at the biggest player movements ahead of MLC 2025.
Major Releases by Teams
Several teams have made surprising cuts ahead of the new season. Here are the most notable releases:
Washington Freedom released Travis Head, who was their joint-highest scorer in MLC 2024, along with Steve Smith. Akeal Hosein and Andrew Tye were also let go.
San Francisco Unicorns parted ways with big names like Pat Cummins, Matt Henry, and Josh Inglis despite retaining most of their core squad.
Seattle Orcas, with the fewest retentions (seven players), let go of key players such as Quinton de Kock, Michael Bracewell, and Obed McCoy.
LA Knight Riders released David Miller, Jason Roy, Shakib Al Hasan, and Adam Zampa, keeping only three overseas players.
MI New York, the inaugural MLC champions, dropped South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, along with Tim David and Dewald Brevis.
Texas Super Kings decided not to retain Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, and Naveen-ul-Haq while securing their core.
MLC 2025 Retentions and Releases
Here is a detailed breakdown of each franchise’s retentions and released players:
