The High-Flying San Francisco Unicorns Aim to Keep Their Winning Momentum Going Against Seattle Orcas

The 16th match of Major League Cricket 2025 is shaping up to be much like a David vs. Goliath battle—though in this case, this particular David has been beaten, bruised, and left alone at the bottom of the table by every other team in the league.

So far, the San Francisco Unicorns are enjoying a stellar run of form, winning all five of their matches. Their batting lineup is firing, and the bowlers are consistently taking wickets. They played well last season too but fell short in the final. This season, however, their batting has reached another level, demolishing every bowling attack they’ve faced so far.

Seattle Orcas, on the other hand, have failed to replicate last season’s heroics. The Orcas are yet to register a win this season, having lost all four of their matches. Their form has dipped significantly, despite featuring some of the biggest T20 stars in their squad.

Players to Watch

Matthew Short
After the injury to Corey Anderson, Matthew Short was appointed captain—and the Australian all-rounder has been on fire ever since. In the two games he has captained, Short has scored 152 runs with an astonishing strike rate of over 210. His economical spells with the ball have also contributed significantly to the team’s success.

Kyle Mayers
In a team full of underperforming stars, the only player who has posed a real threat to opposition bowlers is Kyle Mayers. He is the only Orcas batter to score a half-century this season. Mayers has scored 129 runs at an average of 32.2 and a strike rate of 161.

Haris Rauf
The Pakistani speedster has been electric in Major League Cricket this season. Rauf is currently the top wicket-taker in the league with 12 wickets in just 5 games, including best figures of 4 for 41. His strike rate is phenomenal—taking a wicket every 9 balls.

Harmeet Singh
The Orcas' bowling has been so poor that their leading wicket-taker has managed just 4 wickets so far. Harmeet Singh, the USA's left-arm orthodox spinner, has still impressed with his control and consistency, taking wickets at an average of 25.5. If the Orcas are to end their losing streak, getting Harmeet more involved will be crucial.

Probable Playing XIs

Seattle Orcas
Shayan Jahangir (wk), David Warner, Aaron Jones, Kyle Mayers, Heinrich Klaasen (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Sikandar Raza, Gerald Coetzee, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Cameron Gannon

San Francisco UnicornsMatthew Short (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Romario Shepherd, Hassan Khan, Karima Gore, Xavier Bartlett, Liam Plunkett, Haris Rauf, Brody Couch.