Overview
- San Francisco Unicorns confirmed Thursday that Ashwin has been ruled out of the remainder of Major League Cricket 2026 with a right knee injury and that Australia veteran Peter Siddle has been approved as his tournament replacement.
- Ashwin made only one appearance for the Unicorns, on June 20, when he bowled two overs, conceded 24 runs and took no wickets before the knee problem forced him out.
- The Unicorns have redistributed spin duties to captain Matt Short, rookie Anirudh Immanuel and Hassan Khan while Siddle converts his short-term cover role into a full-time squad spot.
- The injury follows earlier knee surgery that ruled Ashwin out of a planned Big Bash debut and now clouds his availability for the European T20 Premier League, where he is due to captain and mentor the Dublin Guardians.
- Ashwin’s exit tests his post-retirement franchise plans and the Unicorns’ depth, but San Francisco remain near the top of the MLC table as medical monitoring and rehabilitation become the immediate focus.