MI New York secured their spot in the Major League Cricket 2025 final with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Texas Super Kings in the Qualifier 2 match on Friday, led by outstanding performances from Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran. MI NY completed a remarkable turnaround after losing six of their first seven games this season, chasing down TSK’s total of 166/5 with an over to spare.“Not sure how we got to the final, but we are in the final now,” said MI New York captain Nicholas Pooran after the match, reflecting on their fourth place finish in the points table with just three wins in 10 matches played.Texas Super Kings, batting first, started cautiously with Smit Patel and Faf du Plessis at the crease. While Smit managed a few boundaries in the opening over, du Plessis began his assault in the fourth over against Tristan Luus.
The Super Kings suffered early setbacks as Luus and Rushil Ugarkar dismantled their top order, reducing them to 43 for 3 by the end of the powerplay. Du Plessis survived a dropped catch by Pollard when on 25 and went on to score 59 runs.Marcus Stoinis struggled to accelerate the scoring rate and eventually fell to Ugarkar in the 11th over. Akeal Hosein and Donovan Ferreira provided late momentum to the innings, with Hosein particularly severe on Pollard, hitting him for three sixes.MI New York’s chase began with an early setback when Quinton de Kock fell to Zia ul Haq. Michael Bracewell’s dismissal after the powerplay by Noor Ahmad further challenged their pursuit.Monank Patel, who was dropped twice – on 11 and 37 – made the Super Kings pay with a crucial 49-run innings. The game’s momentum shifted dramatically after his departure when Pollard and Pooran took control of the chase.Pollard initiated the assault by hitting Noor for a six and later dominated Zia ul Haq’s over, scoring 22 runs off five balls. With 50 runs needed at the start of the 17th over, Pooran joined the hitting spree against Adam Milne with a boundary and a six.The duo sealed the victory in the penultimate over, scoring 19 runs off Stoinis to finish at 172/3. Pooran remained unbeaten on 52, while Pollard’s explosive innings proved decisive in the outcome.The win sets up MI New York for a final showdown with defending champions Washington Freedom on Sunday. Pollard was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.This victory marks MI New York’s second appearance in the MLC final in three years, showcasing their ability to overcome early season struggles and perform when it matters most.Brief Scores: Texas Super Kings 166/5 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 59, Akeal Hosein 55*; Tristan Luus 3-35, Rushil Ugarkar 2-31) lost to MI New York 172/3 in 19 overs (Nicholas Pooran 52*, Monank Patel 49; Akeal Hosein 1-11) by 7 wickets.
