Major League Cricket 2026 Group Eliminator

The MLC 2026 Eliminator takes place at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, starting at 6:30 PM PDT (UTC-7). Oakland Coliseum holds 12,000 fans for MLC matches, and this evening fixture is sudden death: one team goes home, one survives to fight in the Challenger.

The Eliminator is contested between the group stage’s third and fourth place finishers. Unlike the Qualifier, there is no safety net here. One defeat ends the season. The raw pressure of elimination cricket produces a different quality of performance from group stage matches, and MLC’s best players have proven they rise to the occasion.

MLC follows the IPL playoff structure, the most battle-tested knockout format in franchise T20 cricket. The Eliminator winner advances to face the Qualifier loser in the Challenger, with one more chance to reach the final. For the Eliminator loser, the 2026 season ends at Oakland Coliseum.

Oakland Coliseum’s evening conditions add a bowling-friendly dimension to the contest. The marine layer from San Francisco Bay moves in as temperatures drop, creating seam movement that can completely change the balance of a T20 match. Teams that master the conditions under lights have a significant advantage here.

American cricket has grown rapidly since MLC’s 2023 launch, and playoff matches at Oakland Coliseum now draw from one of the most passionate cricket audiences in the United States.

When to watch: The 6:30 PM PDT start on July 15 converts to 2:30 AM BST on July 16 (London), 7:00 AM IST on July 16 (India), 11:30 AM AEST on July 16 (Sydney), and 9:30 PM EDT (New York). For current local time, check Oakland time and US time zones.

Home of the San Francisco Unicorns and MLC’s primary Bay Area venue, Oakland Coliseum is the stadium where MLC’s biggest nights play out. The Eliminator is where MLC 2026 begins to find its champion.