Match 1 | Major League Cricket 2026 | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas | 18 June 2026

Seattle Orcas will open Major League Cricket‘s 2026 season without a confirmed captain, the kind of detail that rarely happens on the eve of a tournament opener. Heinrich Klaasen led them into 2025 before stepping down mid-season after a 0-5 start, Sikandar Raza finished the year in charge, and new head coach Adam Voges has yet to name anyone for 2026. Texas Super Kings, by contrast, arrive with Faf du Plessis still leading a side that finished second in last year’s league phase. 

TSK vs SEO MLC 2026 Playing XI 

Major League Cricket’s 2026 season begins June 18 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, with Texas Super Kings hosting Seattle Orcas in the tournament opener. Neither side has released a batting order or a confirmed XI yet, which leaves most of the team news to be sorted out on the day itself.

The ground itself tends to favor batters. The most recent and largest sample, covering 52 league matches, puts the average first innings score at 172, well above the smaller-sample estimates of 167 and the 140 to 150 range that circulated earlier. Whoever wins the toss will likely look to set a total rather than chase. 

Seattle Orcas’ Leadership Vacuum 

Seattle Orcas’ official listing for the opener simply reads TBD at captain, and that gap traces back to a rough 2025. Heinrich Klaasen started the season in charge but stepped down after the side opened 0-5, handing the armband to Sikandar Raza for the rest of the campaign.

Adam Voges has since replaced Matthew Mott as head coach for 2026, but no permanent captain has been announced publicly. An outdated squad page still lists Klaasen as captain and Mott as coach, a leftover from before the franchise’s own updates landed in December and April. That early skid defined the season: Seattle finished 2025 with just 3 wins from 10 matches, a net run rate of minus 1.842, and 6 points, missing the playoffs entirely. 

Faf du Plessis Anchors A Settled TSK 

There’s no such uncertainty across town. Faf du Plessis has captained Texas Super Kings since the franchise’s first MLC season in 2023 and continues in the role for 2026, giving the side a settled leadership base heading into the defense of last year’s form.

That form was genuinely strong. Texas finished 2025 with 7 wins and 3 losses for 14 points and a net run rate of plus 1.603, second in the league stage, before losing Qualifier 1 to Washington Freedom. Donovan Ferreira was central to it, scoring 248 runs at a strike rate of 213.79 across 10 matches, while Akheil Hossain picked up 10 wickets in seven games, and the attack also leaned on Adam Milne and Noor Ahmad through the campaign. 

Players Likely To Feature 

Squad reports haven’t fully aligned either. We expect this playing XI for 2026. 

Batting order for the opener hasn’t been confirmed for either side, so where these names actually slot in will only become clear once the teams walk out. Shimron Hetmyer remains Seattle’s most proven match-winner regardless of who’s captaining him, having strung together three consecutive half-centuries and three Player of the Match awards in 2025. Jasdeep Singh and Cameron Gannon round out a Seattle attack that will need to find more consistency than it showed during last year’s 0-5 start. 

History Favors Texas Slightly 

The two sides have met five times since MLC’s 2023 launch, and Texas Super Kings hold a 3-2 edge with no results in between. Seattle’s best score in the rivalry is 140, and their lowest is 60, while Texas has gone as high as 188 and as low as 126.

Seattle actually won both meetings in that inaugural 2023 season before Texas claimed their first win in 2024 to start closing the gap, which is exactly the kind of detail that makes every TSK vs SEO MLC 2026 playing XI question worth watching once team sheets are finally out. 

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FAQ

Who is the captain of Seattle Orcas in MLC 2026?

No permanent captain has been confirmed; the listing is TBD. Heinrich Klaasen led the side early in 2025 before Sikandar Raza took over mid-season, and a captain for 2026 hasn’t been named publicly. 

Who captains the Texas Super Kings?

Faf du Plessis captains the Texas Super Kings. He’s held the role since the franchise’s first MLC season in 2023 and continues into 2026. 

When does MLC 2026 start?

The season opens June 18, 2026. Texas Super Kings host Seattle Orcas at Grand Prairie Stadium, with the tournament running through July 18. 

What is the head-to-head record between the Texas Super Kings and Seattle Orcas?

Texas Super Kings lead 3-2 across five meetings. Seattle won both encounters in 2023 before Texas claimed their first win the following year. 

Where is the Texas Super Kings vs Seattle Orcas match played?

The match is at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. It’s scheduled for a 7:30 PM local start on June 18, 2026.