San Francisco Unicorns and Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf will not be playing for the rest of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. His team announced on Monday that he has a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Rauf got hurt during the Unicorns’ game against the Texas Super Kings and had to leave the field. After the game an MRI confirmed the hamstring strain. He won’t be playing in the playoff stage of the competition which starts on Tuesday, July 8 in Grand Prairie, Texas.
When he got hurt Haris Rauf was the leading wicket taker in MLC 2025 with 17 wickets in 8 games.
San Francisco Unicorns will finish their league games against the LA Knight Riders on July 6. If they win they will finish in the top two of the league table and will get a chance to play in the Qualifier and then the final.
To replace Rauf the Unicorns have signed New Zealand left arm fast bowler Ben Lister. The 29 year old has played 12 T20Is for New Zealand and has been training with the team for the past two weeks. He is ready to play right away.
Lister is known for his new ball and death overs skills. He brings international experience to the San Francisco pace attack which is looking to continue its good form into the playoff rounds.
Rauf’s MLC season is over and also it’s uncertain if he will play in Pakistan’s upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh. The three match series starts on July 20 and the team will start their training camp in Karachi on July 8 and will leave for Bangladesh on July 16.
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The PCB has not made an official announcement but team sources say Rauf is not expected to recover in time for the series.
Rauf’s absence will be a blow for Pakistan as he was in good form in MLC. The team will be monitoring his recovery and replacements will be named once the medical staff provides more information.
