Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of remaining matches due to injury.
His withdrawal comes as a setback for his team as the tournament enters its crucial stage.
CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA — The San Francisco Unicorns announced that spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the remaining MLC 2026 due to a right knee injury. Ashwin had made just one appearance against Texas Super Kings before his Major League Cricket journey was cut short.
In a post on the team’s official Instagram page, the Unicorns sent their well wishes message. “The San Francisco Unicorns can confirm that Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 Major League Cricket season due to a right knee injury. We wish Ashwin a speedy recovery, and thank him for his contributions to the Unicorns this season,” said the Unicorns.
Ravichandran joined the San Francisco Unicorns on March 28, 2026, becoming the first India-capped men’s international cricketer to sign for Major League Cricket. Due to his international and domestic experience and having won numerous awards, he was signed to strengthen the Unicorns’ bowling attack.
The San Francisco Unicorns named Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle as R Ashwin's replacement for the remainder of the 2026 MLC season in the United States. Photo: MLC. © 2026MLC
Ashwin has always stood out as the best spinner, being the fastest to reach 250,300, and 250 wickets in test cricket. However, in his last match with Texas Super Kings, he went wicketless in his 2 overs and conceded 24 runs. He retired from international cricket in 2024; however, he continues to play for franchises and in domestic cricket.
“We wish him a speedy recovery, and thank him for the good work he did during his time with the team, and we hope to see him back on the field soon,” said Graham Manou, the General Manager of Cricket Performance for the San Francisco Unicorns, during an Interview with Zenger News.
Ashwin is one of San Francisco’s best bowlers, and his absence leaves a significant void in the bowling attack after an injury ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. This was evident during their recent 26th match of the season when the LA Knight Riders defeated San Francisco by 11 runs. San Francisco has to play the remaining matches without him, increasing pressure on the team to maintain a strong bowling attack. Despite recording their fourth loss of the season, they still qualified for the playoffs with 12 points and a Net Run Rate of +0.487.
San Francisco Unicorns named Peter Siddle as Ravichandrian’s replacement. The Australian right-arm fast-medium bowler had been part of the Unicorns after he came in as a temporary replacement for Xavier Bartlett and Aaron Hardie. He recorded stellar performances, making him the perfect replacement for Ashwin.
He has also represented his country across all three international formats, claiming 221 Test wickets in 67 matches. With Ashwin ruled out, Peter now has a responsibility in the Unicorns’ remaining matches as they fight for the MLC title.