Fast bowler Haris Rauf’s Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 journey came to an end on a disappointing note after the San Francisco Unicorns suffered a seven-run defeat against the Washington Freedom in Eliminator 2.
The defeat ended the Unicorns’ hopes of advancing further in the tournament, while Washington Freedom secured their place in the MLC 2026 final with a successful defence of their total.
The Washington Freedom successfully defended a total of 238-6 to secure their place in the MLC 2026 final. They restricted the San Francisco Unicorns to 231-6 despite a brilliant unbeaten 121 from captain Matthew Short, ending the Unicorns’ hopes of competing for the title.
Haris Rauf’s struggles in the tournament were highlighted by two particularly expensive spells during the Patna Playoffs. The Pakistani pacer conceded 53 runs in his four overs against the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the Qualifier on July 16 and then gave away 52 runs against the Washington Freedom in Eliminator 2.
The right-arm fast bowler finished the tournament with 10 wickets in 10 matches but conceded 319 runs in 37 overs, recording an overall economy rate of 8.62.
Rauf’s campaign was inconsistent, as he produced some impressive performances, including figures of 3/25 against the Los Angeles Knight Riders, 2/24 and 1/13 against MI New York, and 2/27 against the Washington Freedom. However, he also endured several costly spells throughout the league stage.
Apart from his two expensive playoff outings, Rauf conceded 38 runs in 2.4 overs against the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the opening week, 42 runs against the Washington Freedom during the league stage, and 29 runs in 3.2 overs against the Seattle Orcas.
These performances made Haris Rauf the most expensive frontline bowler in MLC 2026 among those who delivered at least 30 overs. No other regular bowler in the tournament conceded more runs than him.
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