In a crucial must-win game, MI New York’s star players delivered stellar performances to secure a spot in the MLC 2024 playoffs. Rashid Khan’s exceptional bowling figures of 3 for 22 restricted LA Knight Riders (LAKR) to a modest total of 130. MI New York (MINY) needed to chase down this target in 18.2 overs to surpass their opponents on Net Run Rate, which they achieved with 18 balls to spare, thanks to key contributions from Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard.
Opting to bowl first on a sluggish pitch, MINY began strongly. Trent Boult struck early, removing Sunil Narine in his first over. Although Jason Roy started briskly with a six off Boult and consecutive boundaries off Nosthush Kenjige, the dismissal of Unmukt Chand before the end of the PowerPlay at 45/2 was a critical blow for LAKR. Spin was expected to play a major role in the middle overs, and it did just that.
Rashid Khan struck with his fourth delivery, bowling Roy with a well-disguised googly. Kenjige contributed by having David Miller caught at long on, leaving LAKR at a precarious 62/4 at the halfway mark. The spinners continued their dominance, with Kenjige and Rashid collectively taking 5 for 44 in eight overs, putting LAKR’s innings in a tailspin. Rashid then bowled Nitish Kumar and trapped Spencer Johnson LBW, while Kenjige dismissed Saif Badar.
LAKR, reduced to 101/9, seemed headed for a sub-par total, but Andre Russell’s late cameo of 35 off 21 balls helped them reach 130. Russell hit two boundaries each off Rashid and Romario Shepherd and continued his assault against Boult with two fours and a six. However, his innings ended in the final over when Kieron Pollard’s clever short ball resulted in a mishit, ending LAKR’s innings in 19.1 overs.
MINY’s chase began brightly with Dewald Brevis scoring a quick 27 off 19 balls, hitting five boundaries. However, both Brevis and opening partner Ruben Clinton were dismissed by the end of the PowerPlay, leaving MINY at 36/2. By the halfway mark, MINY was 55/3, needing 76 runs from 50 balls for qualification.
Nicholas Pooran, initially scoring slowly with 15 runs off 16 balls, switched gears dramatically. He launched a massive six off Narine at the start of the 12th over and followed it with a six and a four off Russell, bringing MINY back on track with the required run rate. Pollard then sealed the victory with an explosive finish, hitting three consecutive sixes off Spencer Johnson and finishing unbeaten with a rapid 33 off 12 balls.
This victory not only secured MI New York’s place in the playoffs but also kept their hopes alive for a consecutive title. They successfully chased down the target in 17 overs, winning by four wickets and showcasing their depth and resilience.
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