Shane Watson appointed LA Knight Riders mentor ahead of MLC 2026

Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has been appointed as Mentor of the Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) ahead of the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC). The new season commences on Thursday, June 18, with the Californian outfit playing their first game against the San Francisco Unicorns a day later. 

Watson joins the wider Knight Riders family after serving the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor during the 2026 Indian Premier League. He will now team up with some known faces in the form of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Rovman Powell, who have all played for KKR in recent seasons. 

It is worth noting that Watson has experience in coaching in the MLC. The 44-year-old was part of the San Francisco Unicorns' backroom staff during the first three seasons of the tournaments, where he guided them to two playoffs. The Unicorns also reached the final in 2024, where they lost to the Washington Freedom by 96 runs after Steve Smith scored 88 runs in the showpiece game in Dallas. 

Watson will have a huge task ahead of himself in helping LAKR reach their full potential. Despite having some of the biggest names in T20 cricket in their ranks, the Los Angeles-based side have finished last on two occasions and second-from-bottom once. Last season, they won just two matches, including a five-match losing streak. 

Earlier this year, the Knight Riders Group unveiled their new home ground in Pomona, California, which is set to host seven matches in this season's MLC. This is the first instinct of a Major League Cricket side getting genuine home advantage in the history of the competition. The other two venues for the 2026 season include the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas and the Oakland Coliseum in California.