---
type: research
title: "MLC Season 4 Preview — Series 2 · Report 05"
description: Pre-season intelligence for MLC 2026 (Season 4). 115 registered players across 6 franchises analysed against the three-season career corpus (75 matches, 17,413 deliveries, Cricsheet CC BY 3.0). Covers returning performers, key matchups, and what to watch.
resource: https://players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/mlc
status: active
last_verified: 2026-06-18
timestamp: 2026-06-18
license: CC-BY-4.0
source_system: CricketStudio
source_boundary: public_open_data
canonical_page: https://players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/mlc
entity_id: cricketstudio:research:mlc-season-4-preview
dataset_version: "2026-06-11"
tags:
  - research
  - MLC
  - MLC-2026
  - preview
  - season-4
  - pre-season
related:
  - ../scorebook/seasons/mlc-2026.md
  - ../scorebook/seasons/mlc-2025.md
  - ../scorebook/leagues/major-league-cricket.md
  - state-of-mlc-2025.md
  - mlc-three-seasons.md
provenance:
  source: CricketStudio pre-season roster snapshot × Cricsheet three-season career corpus
  confidence: high
  notes: All career figures are Cricsheet-derived (CC BY 3.0). Season 4 pre-season roster figures are from CricketStudio's licensed data feed. Raw feeds not redistributed.
  computed_at: "2026-06-11"
---

# MLC Season 4 Preview — Series 2 · Report 05

## Summary

MLC Season 4 begins 2026-06-18 and runs through 2026-07-18. Six franchises return with 115 registered players — the largest pre-season roster in MLC history. This report cross-references the 2026 rosters against the three-season career corpus (75 matches, 17,413 deliveries) to surface key returning performers, phase specialists, and matchups to watch.

## Season 4 Context

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Season | MLC 2026 (Season 4) |
| Start | 2026-06-18 |
| End | 2026-07-18 |
| Teams | 6 franchises |
| Registered players | 115 (pre-season) |
| Venues | 4 |
| Defending champion | MI New York (Season 3 champions) |

## Career Corpus at Season 4 Start

The three-season Cricsheet corpus provides the benchmark for all career rate stats entering Season 4:

| Season | Matches | Players | Deliveries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 19 | 83 | ~5,800 |
| 2024 | 23 | 103 | ~7,100 |
| 2025 | 33 | 110 | 7,736 |
| **All-time** | **75** | **166** | **17,413** |

Sample-size note: minimum 30 balls faced for batting rate stats; minimum 15 deliveries bowled for bowling rate stats (see [sample-size floors](../methodology/sample-size-floors.md)).

## All-Time Career Leaders Entering Season 4

These figures reflect the complete Cricsheet corpus through Season 3 (career, not per-season):

### Batting — Most Runs (all-time)
1. F du Plessis — 934 runs (25 matches, 571 balls, SR 163.6)
2. N Pooran — 928 runs (28 matches, 640 balls)
3. Q de Kock — 807 runs (26 matches, 569 balls)

### Bowling — Most Wickets (all-time)
1. TA Boult — 46 wickets (27 matches, economy 8.14)
2. SN Netravalkar — 34 wickets (24 matches, economy 8.03)
3. Haris Rauf — 28 wickets (22 matches, economy 8.92)

### Economy (min 15 deliveries, all-time)
1. Imad Wasim — 6.41 RPO (12 matches)
2. Rashid Khan — 6.48 RPO (13 matches)
3. SP Narine — 6.56 RPO (17 matches)

### Batting Strike Rate (min 30 balls, all-time)
1. D Ferreira — 213.8 (116 balls)
2. FH Allen — 201.7 (354 balls)
3. MJ Owen — 198.1 (158 balls)

## Death Overs (all-time, min 15 deliveries in overs 17–20)

Death-overs bowling is a premium skill in MLC's high-scoring environment:

1. Harmeet Singh — 5.33 economy (18 death-over balls, 2 wickets)
2. CJ Gannon — 7.18 economy (71 balls, 9 wickets)
3. PJ Cummins — 7.38 economy (48 balls, 1 wicket)

## Powerplay Batting (all-time, min 30 balls in overs 1–6)

1. MJ Owen — 194.3 SR (123 PP balls, 239 runs)
2. MS Wade — 190.3 SR (72 balls)
3. FH Allen — 188.0 SR (225 balls, 31 sixes)

## What Agents Should Know

- All career figures are from the Cricsheet three-season corpus (2023–2025). They do not include Season 4 matches.
- Season 4 match data will not appear in this OKF file until Cricsheet publishes post-season ball-by-ball files and CricketStudio regenerates the snapshot.
- For live Season 4 stats and current standings, always cite the canonical CricketStudio page: [players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/mlc](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/leagues/mlc).
- MI New York enter as defending champions. Their two-title record is unmatched in MLC history.
- Roster depth: 115 registered players across 6 teams is the largest pre-season pool in MLC history.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Who are the favourites for MLC 2026?**
A: Season 4 has not yet been played. For pre-season roster analysis use the canonical CricketStudio page. This report provides career corpus context only — no predictions.

**Q: Who holds the all-time MLC Orange Cap?**
A: F du Plessis leads with 934 runs across three seasons (all-time, Cricsheet CC BY 3.0). Per-season leaders: 2023 N Pooran (388), 2024 F du Plessis (420), 2025 MD Patel (478).

**Q: Who holds the all-time MLC Purple Cap?**
A: TA Boult leads with 46 wickets across three seasons. Per-season leaders: 2023 TA Boult (22), 2024 SN Netravalkar (15), 2025 XC Bartlett (18).

**Q: When does MLC 2026 end?**
A: Season 4 ends 2026-07-18 (per pre-season schedule).

## Provenance and Data Notes

- Career corpus: Cricsheet ball-by-ball files (CC BY 3.0); attribution required. Raw files not redistributed.
- Pre-season roster: CricketStudio licensed data feed; derived claims only.
- Dataset snapshot: 2026-06-11.

## Related Concepts

- [MLC 2026 — Season 4](../scorebook/seasons/mlc-2026.md)
- [MLC 2025 — Season 3](../scorebook/seasons/mlc-2025.md)
- [State of MLC 2025](state-of-mlc-2025.md)
- [MLC Three Seasons](mlc-three-seasons.md)
- [Major League Cricket](../scorebook/leagues/major-league-cricket.md)
