The SFU vs TSK fantasy team prediction for MLC 2026 Match 8 is here — complete with pitch report, weather, head to head, playing XI and best fantasy XI. San Francisco Unicorns take on Texas Super Kings at Oakland Coliseum in California on Thursday June 25 2026. Match starts at 12:30 PM IST.
This is a rematch of Match 4 from earlier this week. San Francisco Unicorns beat Texas Super Kings by 7 wickets in that fixture — chasing 153 with 13 balls to spare. Texas are now desperate for a response. And San Francisco have the most watched player in MLC 2026 history on their side — Ravichandran Ashwin making history as the first Indian-capped player in the league.
Match Details
Match: SFU vs TSK — 8th T20 — MLC 2026
Tournament: Major League Cricket 2026
Date: Thursday June 25 2026
Time: 12:30 PM IST / 7:00 AM UTC
Venue: Oakland Coliseum California
SFU Captain: Matthew Short
TSK Captain: Faf du Plessis
Live TV India: Star Sports 2
Live Streaming India: JioHotstar
Team Form — Last 5 Matches
San Francisco Unicorns last 5 form: W L L L W
Two wins from their last five. The most recent win came against Texas Super Kings in Match 4 of MLC 2026 — SFU chased 153 in 17.5 overs. Before that they lost to LA Knight Riders in Match 2 of MLC 2026 and before that three older results including a loss to MI New York in the MLC 2025 Eliminator.
Texas Super Kings last 5 form: L L W L W
Two wins from their last five. TSK’s only MLC 2026 win came in Match 1 against Seattle Orcas — a brilliant chase of 221 in 18.3 overs. Since then they have lost to SFU in Match 4 and to MI New York in Match 7.
MLC 2026 form specifically:
SFU: W1 L1 — Beat TSK, Lost to LAKR
TSK: W1 L2 — Beat SO, Lost to SFU, Lost to MINY
Points Table — MLC 2026
SFU: P2 W1 L1 NRR +0.429 Points 2
TSK: P3 W1 L2 NRR -0.563 Points 2
Both teams are level on 2 points. Texas have played one more match. San Francisco’s superior NRR of +0.429 compared to Texas’s -0.563 means a SFU win here would significantly separate them in the standings. A Texas win brings them level on NRR terms and gives them genuine momentum heading into the second half of the group stage.
Head to Head — SFU vs TSK
San Francisco Unicorns lead the head to head 4-2 from the last 6 meetings. It is one of the most dominant head to head records in MLC between any two teams.
SFU won — 4th T20 MLC 2026 — TSK 152 for 9 in 20 overs vs SFU 153 for 3 in 17.5 overs
SFU won — 25th T20 MLC 2025 — SFU 148 for 6 in 20 overs vs TSK 147 for 7 in 20 overs
SFU won — 10th T20 MLC 2025 — TSK 198 for 5 in 20 overs vs SFU 202 for 3 in 16.1 overs — SFU won chasing 199
SFU won — Challenger MLC 2024 — SFU 200 for 6 in 20 overs vs TSK 190 for 4 in 20 overs
TSK won — 7th T20 MLC 2024 — SFU 127 in 17.5 overs vs TSK 128 for 3 in 12.5 overs
TSK won — 2023 meeting
SFU have won 4 of the last 6 meetings including the most recent match earlier this week. San Francisco have also won some of the highest-scoring matches against Texas — their 202 for 3 chasing 199 in MLC 2025 was one of the great individual performances in the league’s history.
Team Comparison — Overall Stats
SFU in last 10 matches:
Win percentage: 50 percent
Average Score: 176
Highest Score: 246
Lowest Score: 131
TSK in last 10 matches:
Win percentage: 50 percent
Average Score: 175
Highest Score: 223
Lowest Score: 87
Both teams are identical on win rate. San Francisco have a slightly higher average score and a significantly higher ceiling — 246 is the third highest total in MLC history. Texas’s lowest of 87 shows how dramatically they can collapse under pressure.
Oakland Coliseum Pitch Report
Oakland Coliseum is one of the best batting grounds in MLC and has hosted some of the highest-scoring matches in the league’s history.
Matches played: 9
Average 1st innings score: 193
Average 2nd innings score: 148
Highest total: 269 for 5 by San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom
Lowest total: 60 all out by Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings
Highest successful chase: 203 for 3 by MI New York vs Seattle Orcas
Lowest total defended: 269 for 5 by San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom
Win batting first: 67 percent
Win bowling first: 33 percent
Pace vs Spin at Oakland Coliseum:
Pace: 77 wickets — 63 percent
Spin: 45 wickets — 37 percent
Oakland Coliseum is a massive ground. The average first innings of 193 is the highest of any MLC venue. Teams batting first win 67 percent of the time here — one of the clearest bat-first advantages in the league. The highest total of 269 for 5 was set at this very venue.
Pace gets 63 percent of wickets at Oakland which means the seam bowling from both sides will be crucial in the powerplay. Ashwin’s spin becomes more important in the middle overs.
Toss verdict: Bat first without hesitation. The 67 percent bat-first win rate and the massive average first innings score of 193 make this one of the clearest toss decisions in MLC 2026.
Par score: 190 to 200 batting first would be the target given the venue average. Anything over 200 would be extremely hard to chase given the 148 average second innings score.
Recent matches at Oakland Coliseum:
MI New York beat Seattle Orcas — MINY 203 for 3 in 19 overs chasing SO 200 for 5 in 20 overs — 9th T20 MLC 2025
Washington Freedom beat LA Knight Riders — WF 208 for 5 in 20 overs vs LAKR 95 all out in 16.3 overs — 8th T20 MLC 2025
Texas Super Kings beat Seattle Orcas — TSK 153 for 6 vs SO 60 all out in 13.5 overs — 7th T20 MLC 2025
Also Read-Best Fantasy Cricket Apps for Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Weather Report — Oakland June 25
Conditions: Mostly cloudy
Temperature: 14.1 degrees Celsius
Humidity: 84 percent
Rain chance: 1 percent
Cool conditions at Oakland. 14 degrees is cold for a T20 match but only 1 percent rain chance means no interruption expected. The mostly cloudy conditions will help the pace bowlers swing the ball early in the powerplay. Ashwin’s off-spin will benefit from the slightly damp overhead conditions in the middle overs.
San Francisco Unicorns Playing XI
The biggest talking point of this match and this entire tournament. Ravichandran Ashwin — the first Indian-capped player in MLC history — is available for selection. Matthew Short captains. Finn Allen opens. Hammad Azam, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Connor Esterhuizen provide batting depth. Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Hassan Khan are the domestic all-rounders.
Confirmed SFU Squad from Crex:
Finn Allen (WK), Connor Esterhuizen, Hammad Azam, Saideep Ganesh, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Matthew Short (C), Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Hassan Khan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Juanoy Drysdale, Oliver Peake
Expected SFU XI:
Finn Allen (WK), Matthew Short (C), Hammad Azam, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Connor Esterhuizen, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Ravichandran Ashwin, Hassan Khan, Oliver Peake, Juanoy Drysdale, Saideep Ganesh
Texas Super Kings Playing XI
Texas need a response after two consecutive defeats. Faf du Plessis leads the batting. Devon Conway provides left-hand balance at the top. Keshav Maharaj is their key spinner. Their pace attack needs to be more penetrating than it was in the loss to MI New York.
Expected TSK XI:
Faf du Plessis (C), Devon Conway, Donovan Ferreira, Rilee Rossouw, Wiaan Mulder, Akeal Hosein, Keshav Maharaj, Hardus Viljoen, Nandre Burger, Adam Milne, S Ranjane
Key Players to Watch
Over 700 international wickets. A record as one of the greatest Test bowlers ever. Now playing in a T20 league in America. Ashwin arrives in Oakland having never played T20 cricket in these conditions and every Indian cricket fan is watching to see how his carrom ball and off-spin travel across the Pacific. At 14 degrees with 84 percent humidity and cloud cover his spin could grip unexpectedly and trouble batters who have never faced him.
He has not had the MLC start he wanted — SFU lost to LAKR in Match 2. Finn Allen is one of the most explosive T20 openers on the planet. He hit 38 sixes in the Big Bash before this tournament. At Oakland where the average first innings is 193 he has the ground and the conditions to post a massive total if he gets going in the powerplay.
The TSK captain who has yet to impose himself on MLC 2026. Du Plessis has the experience and class to turn a tournament around in one innings. After two defeats he will be desperate to produce at Oakland — a ground where he has performed well in previous MLC seasons.
Matthew Short captains SFU and has been their most important batter in MLC 2026. He scored the winning runs in Match 4 against Texas. His off-spin is also a useful weapon against TSK’s predominantly right-handed batting lineup.
Keshav Maharaj is the best spinner on the Texas roster. At Oakland where spin takes 37 percent of wickets he is crucial for breaking partnerships in the middle overs. His record against SFU specifically is worth watching.
Match Prediction
San Francisco Unicorns are favourites on every metric. They lead the head to head 4-2 in the last six meetings. They beat Texas only 4 days ago in Match 4. They have a better NRR in MLC 2026. And they have R Ashwin the most high-profile signing in MLC history — who adds a dimension no other team in the competition has.
But Texas have shown they can score big their 221 chase against Seattle Orcas in Match 1 was one of the best batting performances of MLC 2026 so far. If Du Plessis and Conway fire in the first 6 overs and Texas post 190 or above at Oakland they can defend it.
The toss will be crucial. At Oakland batting first wins 67 percent. The team that wins the toss and bats will be in the driving seat.
Our prediction: San Francisco Unicorns to win. Ashwin will take at least one wicket and Finn Allen will provide the platform for a competitive total. SFU’s batting depth is stronger than TSK’s bowling depth.
Best Fantasy XI — SFU vs TSK MLC 2026
| Player | Team | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Finn Allen | San Francisco Unicorns | Wicketkeeper |
| Matthew Short (VC) | San Francisco Unicorns | All-Rounder |
| Faf du Plessis (C) | Texas Super Kings | Batter |
| Devon Conway | Texas Super Kings | Batter |
| Hammad Azam | San Francisco Unicorns | Batter |
| Rilee Rossouw | Texas Super Kings | Batter |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | San Francisco Unicorns | All-Rounder |
| Wiaan Mulder | Texas Super Kings | All-Rounder |
| Keshav Maharaj | Texas Super Kings | Bowler |
| Oliver Peake | San Francisco Unicorns | Bowler |
| Nandre Burger | Texas Super Kings | Bowler |
Captain: Faf du Plessis
He bats at number one for Texas and opens the powerplay batting. At Oakland where the average first innings is 193 and teams bat first to win 67 percent of the time du Plessis will be crucial in setting or chasing a big total. After two defeats he has the motivation to produce. Safest captain pick.
Vice Captain: Matthew Short
The SFU captain scored the winning runs in Match 4 against Texas. He also bowls off-spin which gives him dual points potential. At a ground where the average score is 193 his batting contribution will be central to whether SFU post a defendable total.
Differential Pick: Ravichandran Ashwin
Every Indian fantasy player will know his name but many will hesitate to pick him because of the T20 format uncertainty. If he bowls 4 overs at Oakland and takes 2 wickets the points will be extraordinary. The mostly cloudy conditions and 84 percent humidity will help his spin grip — this could be the perfect night for his MLC debut performance.
FANTASY
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Q: What time does SFU vs TSK MLC 2026 match start in India?
A: The SFU vs TSK match starts at 12:30 PM IST on Thursday June 25 2026 at Oakland Coliseum California.
Q: Where can I watch SFU vs TSK MLC 2026 live in India?
A: Star Sports 2 on TV and JioHotstar for live streaming.
Q: What is the pitch report for Oakland Coliseum for SFU vs TSK?
A: Oakland Coliseum is the highest-scoring venue in MLC with an average first innings score of 193. Teams batting first win 67 percent of matches here. The highest total at the ground is 269 for 5 by San Francisco Unicorns. Pace bowlers take 63 percent of wickets. A total of 190 or above batting first would be a very competitive score.
Q: What is the head to head record between SFU and TSK?
A: San Francisco Unicorns lead 4-2 from the last 6 MLC meetings. SFU beat TSK by 7 wickets in Match 4 of MLC 2026 just days ago. SFU have won 4 consecutive meetings against TSK.
Q: Is R Ashwin playing for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026?
A: Yes. Ravichandran Ashwin is playing for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026 making him the first ever Indian-capped player to appear in Major League Cricket. He is confirmed in the SFU squad for MLC 2026.
Q: Who is the captain of San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2026?
A: Matthew Short is the captain of San Francisco Unicorns for MLC 2026. The Australian all-rounder bats and bowls off-spin.
Q: Who is the captain of Texas Super Kings in MLC 2026?
A: Faf du Plessis is the captain of Texas Super Kings for MLC 2026. The South African veteran is Texas’s most important batter.
Q: What is the MLC 2026 points table position for SFU and TSK?
A: San Francisco Unicorns have 2 points from 2 matches — NRR plus 0.429. Texas Super Kings have 2 points from 3 matches — NRR minus 0.563. Both teams are level on points but SFU have a significantly better NRR. A SFU win here would push them into a strong position in the MLC 2026 standings.