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San Francisco Unicorns: Know All About Players, Owners, Captains, Coaches, Records, and More

12 min
San Francisco Unicorns

The San Francisco Unicorns are a popular team in Major League Cricket for their flair and because they are situated in the energetic and sports-loving San Francisco Bay Area. The franchise started in the 2023 MLC season to bring elite cricket to the US West Coast. In 2023, their first season, the Unicorns showed a strong and decisive style.

The main motto of this franchise is to support and improve international and local cricket players. Among the squad members are American-grown players along with international cricket experts. The team is directed by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, who run Cambrian Ventures.

Team Information

Cricket Victoria declared their collaboration with the Unicorns during March 2023 to support the team's inaugural season. The Bay Blazers serve as the Unicorns' minor league affiliate by participating in the developmental league of Minor League Cricket. The team is owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, and the team partnered with Australia's Cricket Victoria for the first season. The team is coached by former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson and captained by Corey Anderson.

Full NameSan Francisco Unicorns
Nick NameSF Unicorns, Unicorns
Founded2023
Current OwnersAnand Rajaraman & Venky Harinarayan (Co-Founders of Rocketship VC)
CoachesShane Watson (Head Coach)
CaptainCorey Anderson
Winning Record50% (2023 MLC Group Stage Finish)
Home GroundOakland Coliseum
Secondary Home GroundNo secondary home ground
San Francisco Unicorns Jersey
Image Credits: Official X Account of San Francisco Unicorns/SFOUnicorns

The San Francisco Unicorns' jersey and logo for 2025 show a lively, modern image. The main part is orange with slight gradients and diagonal lines, which makes the logo look active and animated. Deep navy blue on the shoulders and side panels gives the outfit a sharper look. On the left chest, the club logo is displayed, and on the front, the MCW sponsor logo appears clearly in white across the entire design.

Players in the league always have the MLC sleeve badge on their jerseys. The unicorn’s head and horn in the San Francisco Unicorns logo are seen in a modern and stylish way using straight lines and a minimal look. Being in white, the logo stands out clearly against dark backgrounds and captures the main traits of a unicorn, including strength, speed, and uniqueness. The horn also represents movement and accuracy, which are key features in this sport.

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San Francisco Unicorns Captain, Vice-Captain, Details

Previously, the side had Aaron Finch as their captain in the first season. Now the San Francisco Unicorns enter the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season with renewed ambition under the leadership of seasoned all-rounder Corey Anderson, who has been retained as the captain. The former Kiwi international, Anderson, brings a wealth of global T20 experience, calm under pressure, and dynamic match-winning ability.

The Southpaw has been renowned for his explosive batting and dependable medium-pace bowling. Anderson is not only the face of the Unicorns but also a stabilizing presence in the dressing room. Having played T20 cricket across the globe, from the IPL to CPL and now in MLC, Anderson’s tactical awareness and leadership acumen are invaluable to the side.

San Francisco Unicorns History

The San Francisco Unicorns are one of the six franchises in the Major League Cricket (MLC), representing the vibrant and diverse city of San Francisco, California. Founded in 2023, the Unicorns were introduced as part of the inaugural season of MLC. In their debut 2023 season, the Unicorns made a horrifying start as losing three games out of 5 and finishing at the 5th in the table and failing to qualify for the knockouts.

In the very next season, with a change in captaincy, Corey Anderson, they finished in the top 2 and lost to Washington Freedom in the final of the competition. They displayed amazing performance and potential with a growing fan base, largely due to entertaining performances from players like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Finn Allen, and Pat Cummins. This year also they will also look to take a place in the final and get their hands on the silverware.

San Francisco Unicorns Owner

An investor group comprising Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan is the owner of the San Francisco Unicorns. Known for investing in technology firms early on and having a big role in their achievements. They both helped start Junglee Corp. and at Amazon.com they played leading roles in the late 90s. In 2000, they started Cambrian Ventures, a venture capital company focused on early-stage startups. Several companies that Google went on to acquire after acquiring Cambrian. Some of the companies that Cambrian has worked with are Mobissimo, Aster Data Systems, and TheFind.com.

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San Fransico Administration and Support Staff

The San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC) is a reflection of the bonding between talented players and a world-class support system behind the scenes. Despite the dismal show in the first season, they made it to the final in the second. San Francisco Unicorns will be looking to get their hands on the trophy in season 3 of the MLC.

Team OwnersAnand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan (co-founders of Cambrian Ventures)
Team & Cricket Operations ManagerN/A
Head CoachShane Watson
Assistant CoachBen Rohrer
Bowling CoachN/A
Team ManagerN/A
Strength and ConditioningN/A
PhysiotherapistAnthony Lucente

Head Coach

The San Francisco Unicorns is coached by Shane Watson, one of the best Australian cricket players known for his all-around expertise. Watson is known for his explosive batting, amazing strategies, and a calm attitude under pressure, and he has successfully changed from being a recognised player to now being recognised as a reputed coach. Because of his vast experience in T20 cricket, he is an important member of the franchise.

Assistant Coach

San Francisco Unicorns took on Ben Rohrer as their Assistant Coach, who has the benefit of both playing and coaching experience in cricket. Rohrer was famous for his calm left-handed batting and smooth cricketing mind, and he played for New South Wales and several T20 teams. At Watson’s side, Rohrer will help set up game strategies, coach the players, and organise practices to match team and individual targets.

Bowling Coach

There has been no information about the bowling coach. Adam Griffith was the coach in the first two seasons of the MLC.

Team Manager

There has been no information about the team's manager.

Physiotherapist

Anthony Lucente plays an important role in maintaining player health and physical preparation for the cricketers of the San Francisco Unicorns. With a strong expertise in sports physiotherapy and athletic rehabilitation, Lucente is in charge of overseeing injury prevention, treatment, and recovery techniques throughout the strenuous MLC season. The San Francisco Unicorns, with Anthony Lucente's guidance, are prepared to handle the physical demands of elite T20 cricket.

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San Francisco Unicorns Sponsorships

Qualys, the Major Partner of the San Francisco Unicorns. As the globe's frontrunner in cloud IT security and compliance systems, Qualys boosts the unicorn's trust mark. Meanwhile, NTT Communications expands telecommunications and data services around the world. Joining Royal enhances the unicorn's luxury image which brings automobile giant Toyota, pioneering in marketing advanced technologies, to shift focus on other industries.

Under the instruction of Hexaware, a braintrust in IT and business consulting, as well as DST, Belgravia and Masuri with tailor made cricket safety gear, the franchise continues to expand both digitally and athletically. The team's supporting partners are brands like BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), Indiaspora, Aspire, and CV have all lent their support, connecting the franchise more deeply with the local and diaspora communities, promoting inclusivity and outreach. The Club Partners, including Mayfield and Syon, bring strategic investment and networking capabilities to the team.

San Francisco Unicorns Social Media

San Francisco Unicorns maintains a growing and professional presence on social media platforms, especially Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). They use social media for updates on Major League Cricket, team achievements, behind-the-scenes training videos, matchday posts, and player interactions.

San Francisco Unicorns Instagram

The official Instagram handle of San Francisco Unicorns is @sfounicorns. The account features engaging content such as player announcements, practice session clips, match highlights, and team bonding moments. It has 25.5K followers, which showcases the team's identity across the USA.

San Francisco Unicorns Twitter

The official X (Twitter) handle is @SFOUnicorns. Here, they post about San Francisco Unicorns' match updates, live commentary threads, key player stats, lineup announcements, and community engagements. They have 5,749 followers.

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San Francisco Unicorns Stats

The San Francisco Unicorns have quickly emerged as one of the most dynamic and promising teams in Major League Cricket (MLC). In 2023, the Unicorns had a modest campaign under the leadership of veteran Australian batter Aaron Finch, finishing 5th in the group stage. Despite not making the playoffs, the team showed sparks of brilliance. In 2024, the franchise experienced a significant transformation. With Corey Anderson stepping into the role of captain, the Unicorns adopted a more aggressive and confident brand of cricket. They reached the finals.

San Francisco Unicorns Batting Stats

Finn Allen stands tall as the leading run-scorer for the San Francisco Unicorns across the 2023 and 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) seasons. The explosive Kiwi opener has brought an aggressive and fearless approach to the top of the order. He used to set the tone for the Unicorns with his quick-fire starts and boundary-based innings. In 14 matches, Allen amassed a total of 381 runs from 14 innings without remaining not out in any of them. He struck at a phenomenal strike rate of 175.39.

PlayerSpanMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR1005004s6s
Finn Allen2023-20241414038110124.50209175.391213824
Corey Anderson2023-20241413430191*34.85220134.870211817
Hassan Khan2024-20249832045740.80142143.660101313
Matt Short2024-20245501705834.0094180.85020914
Sai Krishnamurthi2024-202498116979*24.14124136.29011149

San Francisco Unicorns Bowling Stats

San Francisco Unicorns
Image Credits: Official X Account of San Francisco Unicorns/@SFOUnicorns

Liam Plunkett has emerged as the leading wicket-taker for the San Francisco Unicorns across the 2023 and 2024 seasons of Major League Cricket (MLC), demonstrating his continued excellence and experience in the shortest format. The veteran English pacer played 9 matches, taking 12 wickets from as many innings. His economy rate of 8.43, though slightly on the higher side, is well balanced by his knack for wicket-taking ability.

PlayerMatInnsBallsOversMdnsRunsWktsAveEconSR
Liam Plunkett9917428.60.02421220.298.4314.46
Haris Rauf141431452.21.04621148.758.7532.82
Hassan Khan9713222.00.01561015.607.0913.20
Corey Anderson1487312.10.0118620.6310.2212.13
Corne le Roux101020233.40.0277646.178.2633.67

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San Francisco Unicorns Performance Over the Years

Their performance throughout 2023 and 2024 shows clear growth in successional attainment levels. The Unicorns had a mixed campaign in 2023 with Aaron Finch as captain, where they showed some promise but ultimately finished fifth in the group stage with a win percentage of 40%, clinching only 2 out of 5 games and missing the playoffs due to a poor run rate.

The 2024 season marked a franchise leap forward, allowing for greater innovation and depth. After Corey Anderson was appointed captain, the Unicorns became serious title contenders and registered 5 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no-result, leading to an 83.33% win rate. They lost to the Washington Freedom emerged in the final.

YearCaptainResultTop BattersRunsTop BowlersWicketsWin %
2023Aaron FinchGroup Stage (5th Place)Corey Anderson190Liam Plunkett740%
2024Corey AndersonFinalistsFinn Allen306Hasan Khan1083.33%

San Francisco Unicorns Squad: Players to Watch Out For

The San Francisco Unicorns have unveiled a strong and exciting squad for the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. In batting Finn Allen, known for his aggressive strokeplay at the top of the order, as he is the leading run-scorer for the Unicorns. The bowling attack looks threatening with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf and Xavier Bartlett.

San Francisco Unicorns Full Squad

Corey Anderson (C), Finn Allen, Matthew Short, Juanoy Drysdale, Romario Shepherd, Xavier Bartlett, Haris Rauf, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Tim Seifert, Callum Stow, Liam Plunkett, Brody Couch, Carmi Le Roux, Hassan Khan, Cooper Connolly, Karima Gore, Hammad Azam, Achilles Browne.

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FAQs

What is the history of San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC)?

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The San Francisco Unicorns are a popular team in Major League Cricket for their flair and because they are situated in the energetic and sports-loving San Francisco Bay Area. They were formed in 2023 before the MLC season 1. 

Who is the current captain of San Francisco Unicorns?

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Corey Anderson is the current captain of San Francisco Unicorns. 

Who is the owner of San Francisco Unicorns?

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 Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan is the owner of the San Francisco Unicorns.

Which players are in the current squad of San Francisco Unicorns?

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Corey Anderson (C), Finn Allen, Matthew Short, Juanoy Drysdale, Romario Shepherd, Xavier Bartlett, Haris Rauf, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Tim Seifert, Callum Stow, Liam Plunkett, Brody Couch, Carmi Le Roux, Hassan Khan, Cooper Connolly, Karima Gore, Hammad Azam, Achilles Browne.

How many MLC titles has San Francisco Unicorns won?

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They are yet to win a title as they were the finalist of the 2024 season. 

Who is the all-time leading run scorer for San Francisco Unicorns?

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Finn Allen, with 381 runs, is the all-time leading run scorer. 

Who is the highest wicket-taker for San Francisco Unicorns?

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Liam Plunkett, with 12 wicket,s is the highest wicket-taker. 

What is the home ground of San Francisco Unicorns?

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Oakland Coliseum is the home ground. 

Who are the key players to watch in San Francisco Unicorns?

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Corey Anderson (C), Finn Allen, Haris Rauf, Xavier Bartlett

Who is the head coach of San Francisco Unicorns?

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The head coach of the Unicorns is Shane Watson, a former Australian all-rounder.

What are the best performances of San Francisco Unicorns in MLC history?

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The Unicorns' best performance came in 2024, when they reached the finals of MLC. 

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Edited by- Meet Sharma
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