By Sports Desk | July 07, 2025

Fast bowler Haris Rauf has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season after sustaining a Grade 1 hamstring injury. The injury occurred during San Francisco Unicorns’ match against the Texas Super Kings on June 21 in Dallas.

The franchise confirmed his injury and absence from the rest of the tournament in a social media post. “We’re with you, Haris. The San Francisco Unicorns can confirm Haris Rauf will miss the remainder of MLC2025 with a hamstring injury. New Zealand pacer Ben Lister will replace him, effective immediately,” the team announced.

Rauf had been in top form, leading the MLC 2025 wicket-takers list with 17 wickets in just eight games, though his economy rate stood at 9.08. His absence will be a major blow to the Unicorns’ campaign.

In addition to missing the MLC, Rauf is also likely to be sidelined for Pakistan’s upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, scheduled later this month. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet made an official announcement regarding his availability or the expected duration of his recovery.

The national squad is set to arrive in Bangladesh on July 16 for a three-match T20I series, which begins on July 20 at Dhaka’s Shere-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The remaining two matches will be played on July 22 and 24.

After the Bangladesh tour, Pakistan is scheduled to visit the West Indies in August for a white-ball series, including three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is). Rauf’s fitness will be closely monitored ahead of the Caribbean tour.