Injury blow: Ashwin ruled out of remaining MLC 2026

Injury ends his tournament Ashwin won’t play any further matches in MLC 2026 after the knee issue was assessed. He was a key spinner/all-rounder for his franchise. His experience and bowling control will be a major miss in the middle and death overs. The team will now have to bring in a replacement and reshuffle their bowling attack for the rest of the league stage and playoffs. "I'm disappointed to end the season early, but unfortunately, this injury means that's the right decision," Ashwin said in a statement from the franchise. "I've truly loved my time with the San Francisco Unicorns and will be cheering the boys on for the rest of the tournament. Thank you to my team-mates, the coaching staff, everyone across the San Francisco Unicorns organisation, and all the Unicorns fans for your incredible support." R Ashwin played only one match for Unicorns this season — on June 20 vs Texas Super Kings in Dallas. He bowled 2 overs, 0/24.Spin attack reshuffled. In his absence, the spin duties have fallen to: Captain Matt Short – Unicorns’ top wicket-taker this season. Rookie wristspinner Anirudh Immanuel Left-arm spin allrounder Hassan Khan. Unicorns lose Ashwin’s experience, and are now relying on Short to lead both with bat and ball, plus two younger spinners to share the load. Ashwin's next assignment will likely be the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), where he is set to captain and mentor Dublin Guardians, one of the six franchises in the competition. The tournament will run from August 26 to September 20 in Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Ashwin had retired from international cricket in December 2024 and then from the IPL at the end of the 2025 season. Unicorns are currently at the top of the MLC points table with five wins in eight matches so far. Ashwin’s knee injury means a very short MLC 2026 for him. Unicorns will lean on Short, Immanuel and Khan to cover the spin department for the rest of the tournament.