San Francisco Unicorns will take on the Washington Freedom in the opening match of the Major League Cricket 2025. The match is scheduled to be played at the Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, on June 13 at 03:30 PM IST. San Francisco Unicorns San Francisco Unicorns, the runner-ups of the last season, are set to make a historic debut at their newly constructed home ground in California this season after playing their previous two seasons of Major League Cricket at a neutral venue. They were beaten by Washington Freedom in the finals of MLC 2024 by a whopping 96-run margin. With a revamped lineup and some fresh faces, the Unicorns will look to do better this season. The team will be led by Corey Anderson. Washington Freedom Washington Freedom, on the other hand, won their first Major League Cricket title last season after beating San Francisco Unicorns in the finals. Their first match of the MLC 2025 is going to be a repeat of last season's finale. With Glenn Maxwell set to take over the captaincy this season in the absence of Steve Smith, the squad is looking much stronger. In the batting lineup, Mitchell Owen, Andres Gous, and Rachin Ravindra are set to showcase their batting prowess this season. Saurabh Netravalkar, along with Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, will be seen handling the bowling responsibility. Pitch Report The surface at Oakland Coliseum, California expected to provide a batting-friendly surface. As this is a freshly constructed stadium and home to the San Francisco Unicorns, it will be interesting to see how it behaves, but it is expected to provide a good bouncy surface, favourable for batters. The surface will allow the batters to play their shots freely after settling at the crease. However, as the match progresses, spinners are likely to get some good assistance from the surface, helping them to come in handy during the middle overs. SF vs WAS Head-to-Head SF vs WAS head-to-head Matches Played 3 Won by San Francisco Unicorns 1 Won by Washington Freedom 2 No Result 0 Tied 0 Probable XI San Francisco Unicorns: Finn Allen (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matthew Short, Corey Anderson (c), Hassan Khan, Hammad Azam, Tim Seifert, Cooper Connolly, Haris Rauf, Liam Plunkett, Carmi le Roux Washington Freedom: Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous (wk), Mark Chapman, Jack Edwards, Glenn Maxwell (c), Glenn Phillips, Obus Piennar, Saurabh Netravalkar, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Jason Behrendorff Must-Pick Players for SF vs WAS Top Wicketkeeper to Pick Tim Seifert | SF: One of the best top-order aggressive batters in this format is none other than Tim Seifert. He takes the charge from the first ball itself, an aggressive hitter and a handy wicketkeeper for the team. In 263 T20 matches in his career, he has scored 5878 runs, including three centuries, at a strike rate of 133.19. He can play a crucial role in your team if added. Top Batters to Pick Cooper Connolly | SF: Cooper was phenomenal this season in the Big Bash League, proving his testament to his batting skills. He is set to feature in the tournament for the first time and would really aim to make a mark in the tournament. In 27 T20 matches, he has scored 577 runs. He should be there in your fantasy XI. Glenn Maxwell | WAS: Glenn Maxwell is one such batter who shouldn't be missed, adding to your team. He is a match-winner. Last year, while playing for the same team, he scored some crucial knocks in the tournament.. In 5 innings, he scored 153 runs last season. He will look to continue his good form going into this match. Top All-Rounders to Pick Matthew Short | SF: Matthew Short is one such all-rounder who shouldn't be missed. He not only scores runs as a batter but also takes wickets with the ball. Last season, he scored 170 runs and took four wickets as well. He is a must-have player for your fantasy XI. Rachin Ravindra | WAS: Rachin Ravindra had a disappointing MLC campaign last year, but he would look to come back stronger this season. In the 7 innings that he played last year, he could only score 99 runs with a poor form on his back. With a fresh campaign on the line, he will aim to contribute through his all-round ability. Top Bowlers to Pick Haris Rauf | SF: Haris Rauf is a pacer who has both aggression and top speed. With an accurate length and bullet-like speed, he takes crucial wickets in his bowling spell. He had a disappointing campaign last year where he was only able to take 4 wickets, but he will target to contribute more this season. Lockie Ferguson | WAS: The 33-year-old pacer picks crucial wickets in the middle overs. His ability to take crucial wickets with the pace and extra bounce has been his key ability. He was the standout performer from the team last year where he took 10 wickets in just 7 innings. He will look to repeat a similar campaign this season as well.