Texas Super Kings Archives

Pooran-Pollard masterclass powers MI New York into MLC 2025 final

DALLAS: The West Indian duo of Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard lit up the Grand Prairie Stadium on Friday night, dismantling Texas Super Kings with brutal hitting to power MI New York into the final of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a commanding seven-wicket victory.

After a dismal start to their campaign, losing six of their first seven matches, MI New York have now booked a spot in their second MLC final in three years, setting up a title clash against defending champions Washington Freedom on Sunday.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, MI New York struck early. Smit Patel was the first to go for 9, undone by Tristan Luus in the fourth over with the score at 29.

Luus and Rushil Ugarkar then ran through the Super Kings’ top order, leaving them reeling at 43-3 by the end of the Powerplay.

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While Faf du Plessis tried to hold the innings together with a composed 59 off 42 balls, Marcus Stoinis never looked settled and was dismissed for 6 by Ugarkar.

Luus returned to remove du Plessis just as he was threatening to shift gears, leaving the scoreboard in a precarious state at 85-5.

However, the final flourish came from Akeal Hosein and Donovan Ferreira, who stitched together an unbeaten 81-run stand off just 46 deliveries.

Hosein smashed a blistering 55* off 32 balls, peppered with four fours and four sixes, while Ferreira supported well with 32* off 20 as Texas Super Kings ended at a competitive 166-5.

Luus finished with impressive figures of 3-35, while Ugarkar picked up 2-31. No other MI bowler managed a breakthrough.

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In response, MI New York’s chase began on shaky ground. Quinton de Kock fell cheaply for 9, miscuing a pull shot off Zia-ul-Haq, and Michael Bracewell (8) didn’t last long either, departing soon after the powerplay to Akeal Hosein.

Monank Patel anchored the innings with a solid 49 off 39, hitting five boundaries and two sixes, but his dismissal by Noor Ahmed in the 13th over with the score at 83-3 left the game in a tense balance.

What followed was a ruthless counterattack as Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard tore into the Super Kings’ bowling. The pair added 89 unbeaten runs off just 40 deliveries to seal the match in the penultimate over.

Pooran remained unbeaten on 52 off 36 balls, striking four boundaries and three sixes, while Pollard rolled back the years with a vintage 47* off just 22, smashing seven boundaries, including three massive sixes.

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MLC 2025: Texas Super Kings go top as Du Plessis, Milne star in win over Seattle Orcas

LAUDERHILL: Faf du Plessis’s blazing 91 and Adam Milne’s fiery five-wicket haul sealed the top spot for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a 51-run win over Seattle Orcas here on Sunday.

Chasing a daunting 189-run target, Seattle Orcas crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 137 runs in 18.4 overs.

The victory propelled the Faf du Plessis Texas Super Kings to the top position with 14 points from 10 matches.

Seattle Orcas had a poor start as Texas Super Kings swiftly removed the top three batters inside seven overs. David Warner was the first one to go in the fourth over, bowled by Adam Milne after scoring nine off 10 deliveries.

Incoming batter, Shayan Jahangir, made his way to the pavilion on the last ball of the same over for a golden duck as Orcas were reduced to 29-2.

Super Kings’ bowlers kept Orcas batters on the ropes as they removed their top scorer Kyle Mayers in the seventh over. The left-handed batter scored 35 off 28 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.

With the required run rate creeping and wickets tumbling at regular intervals, Seattle Orcas never looked in the chase and were eventually bowled out.

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For Texas Super Kings, Adam Milne wreaked havoc with the ball, taking a five-wicket haul for just 23 runs in 3.4 overs. Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein claimed two wickets each.

Earlier, after being put in to bat first, the Texas Super Kings posted 188-4 in their allocated 20 overs.

After losing two wickets for 49 runs in 7.1 overs, skipper Faf du Plessis partnered with Shubham Ranjane for a remarkable 132-run partnership to propel the Super Kings to a formidable total.

Ranjane remained unbeaten on 65 with the aid of three sixes and four boundaries while Du Plessis retired out after scoring 91 off 52 deliveries. The skipper’s brisk knock featured half a dozen fours and four sixes.

In another match, MI New York defeated Los Angeles Knight Riders by six runs to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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Veteran batter Kieron Pollard fired on all cylinders with his all-round show. The 38-year-old took a wicket and scored 50 off 36 balls in the run chase to take his team home.

Put into bat first, MI posted 142-9 in their allocated 20 overs, courtesy of Kieron Pollard’s half-century lower down the order.

For Los Angeles Knight Riders, Shadley van Schalkwyk bagged three wickets in his three overs.

However, in reply, the Knight Riders fell short, managing to score only 136-4 in their 20 overs, thanks to the economical bowling display from MI bowlers.

For MI New York, Nosthush Kenjige and Kieron Pollard picked up a wicket each

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Faf du Plessis propels Texas Super Kings into MLC 2025 playoffs

DALLAS: Faf du Plessis put on a batting clinic with an unbeaten century before Akeal Hosein weaved a tidy spell as Texas Super Kings sealed their spot in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 playoffs with a commanding 39-run win over MI New York on Sunday.

After being asked to bat first, Texas lost Smit Patel (3) early, but that only opened the door for du Plessis to take charge.

The skipper shifted gears instantly, racing to a 21-ball half-century and taking on the MI New York attack with authority.

He found support in Saiteja Mukkamalla (25), who held firm during their 80-run second-wicket stand before falling to George Linde in the ninth over.

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Marcus Stoinis then joined du Plessis for a steady 57-run partnership that allowed the former South African captain to settle into a true anchor role. While Stoinis couldn’t quite break free and eventually fell for 25.

Donovan Ferreira then came out to bat and tore into the bowling with a 20-ball 53, matching the fastest fifty in MLC history.

His late-innings onslaught gave du Plessis the perfect foil to continue ticking along, eventually raising his bat for a sublime 103* off just 56 deliveries.

It was his second hundred of the season and eighth in T20s, laced with five fours and nine towering sixes as Texas piled on a daunting 223/4.

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Chasing 224, MI New York never truly got into the contest.

Nandre Burger struck early to remove Nicholas Pooran, and then Akeal Hosein put the clamps on the middle order with a miserly 3-15 spell that included the big wickets of Monank Patel (6) and Quinton de Kock (35).

Kieron Pollard did briefly threaten to shift the momentum with a trademark six-hitting spree, especially when he smashed 22 runs off a single over from Noor Ahmad. But the task was a bridge too far.

Pollard’s fighting 70 off 39 balls proved to be a lone hand as the chase fizzled out. Burger and Stoinis came back to snuff out any lingering hopes, restricting MI New York to 184/8 in their 20 overs.

With this clinical win, Texas Super Kings not only preserved their strong run in the tournament but also booked a well-earned place in the MLC 2025 playoffs.

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MLC 2025: Donovan Ferreira stars as Texas Super Kings beat LA Knight Riders

DALLAS: Shubham Ranjane’s composed 70 and Donovan Ferreira’s impactful all-round show helped Texas Super Kings return to winning ways with a 52-run win over Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 on Tuesday.

Opting to bowl first at Grand Prairie Stadium, LAKR made early inroads as Shadley van Schalkwyk ripped through Texas’ top order.

He struck twice in two balls to dismiss Saiteja Mukkamalla (9) and Marcus Stoinis (0), reducing the Super Kings to 33-3 inside four overs.

Smit Patel held firm at one end and stitched a 64-run stand with Ranjane to revive the innings.

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Patel contributed a steady 38 off 33 before Andre Russell broke the partnership. Ranjane, however, carried on and found a dynamic partner in Donovan Ferreira.

The duo added a brisk 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket, with Ferreira doing most of the damage, smashing 43 off just 21 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes.

Both batters were dismissed in the 19th over, with Ranjane falling after a well-compiled 70 off 45 deliveries (6 fours, 4 sixes), and Ferreira run out.

Texas Super Kings lost momentum in the death overs and fell short of the 200-mark, finishing at 196-8.

Van Schalkwyk and Russell picked up three wickets apiece, while Ali Khan chipped in with one.

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Chasing 197, LA Knight Riders faltered early as Akeal Hosein struck twice in his first over, removing Alex Hales (5) and Nitish Kumar (0) to leave the side reeling at 10-2.

Unmukt Chand (30) and Saif Badar (19) attempted to rebuild with a 45-run stand, but Marcus Stoinis broke the partnership, triggering a collapse.

Rovman Powell (21) and Jason Holder (26* off 15) tried to inject some life into the chase, but lacked support from the other end.

Texas bowlers maintained control throughout, with Hosein and Noor Ahmed bagging two wickets each. Zia-ul-Haq, Stoinis, and Ferreira took one apiece as LAKR were restricted to 144-7 in their 20 overs.

The convincing win lifted the Texas Super Kings to second place on the MLC 2025 points table, snapping a two-match losing streak.

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Mitchell’s final over hands Texas Super Kings a thrilling win over MI New York

OAKLAND: A death-bowling masterclass from Daryl Mitchell helped Texas Super Kings seal a dramatic three-run win over MI New York in the second match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday.

Chasing 186, MI New York needed just 9 runs off the final over with two wickets in hand, but Mitchell held his nerve, mixing yorkers with slower ones to perfection, and conceded only five to snatch victory for his side.

Earlier, Texas Super Kings posted 185/6 after being put into bat, with Devon Conway anchoring the innings and Calvin Savage providing late fireworks.

Conway and Faf du Plessis got the Super Kings off to a cautious start, adding 39 off 38 balls before Ehsan Adil removed the skipper. Conway then watched wickets tumble at the other end as the Kings slipped to 96-5.

However, a crucial sixth-wicket stand between Conway and Savage rescued the innings. The duo added 79 runs in just 47 balls to take the team past the 170-mark.

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Conway was eventually run out for a superb 65 off 44, featuring seven boundaries and five sixes. Savage remained unbeaten on 53 from 34 balls, ensuring Texas finished with a competitive total in the second match of the MLC 2025.

Michael Bracewell was the pick of the MI bowlers with 2-34, while Ehsan Adil, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Sunny Patel chipped in with a wicket each.

MI New York’s chase got off to a shaky start as Adam Milne dismissed openers Agni Chopra (5) and Quinton de Kock (8) inside four overs.

The early blows worsened when Nicholas Pooran fell to Noor Ahmad for just 6, leaving the side reeling at 24-3.

Monank Patel and Michael Bracewell then led a remarkable recovery, stitching together 97 runs in just 48 balls.

Patel looked in sublime touch, bringing up his half-century off 33 deliveries. Bracewell was looking set for a big one but fell for 38 after Faf du Plessis pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch at mid-off.

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With the equation narrowing, Kieron Pollard stepped up with a brisk 32 off 16.

But just as it seemed MI New York were cruising, Daryl Mitchell produced a game-changing moment, running Pollard out, and then dismissing a well-set Monank Patel off the very next delivery with another run-out.

Patel top-scored with 62 off 44, but his dismissal triggered a collapse. Only three boundaries came in the final three overs as the asking rate climbed.

Mitchell’s final over, yielding just three runs off the bat, plus a bye and a leg-bye, proved decisive as MI New York fell short, finishing at 182-8.

Adam Milne led the bowling charts with 3-22, while Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Mohsin picked up a wicket each in a tightly contested MLC 2025 match.

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MLC 2024: Dominant Texas Super Kings edge past MI New York in Eliminator

DALLAS: Faf du Plessis stood out with a blistering 72-run knock as Texas Super Kings defeated MI New York by nine wickets in the Eliminator of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 on Wednesday.

MI New York while batting first posted 163-8, which Texas Super Kings chased down with ease in 18.3 overs.

Faf du Plessis led the chase with his quick-fire knock, with support from Devon Conway as they posted a 101-run opening stand in 12.3 overs to keep the Super Kings in command.

The former South African captain scored 72 runs from 47 balls, laced with six boundaries and three sixes before Nosthush Kenjige ended his brilliant knock.

The unfazed Conway was joined by Aaron Hardie and together they steered the side to a comfortable victory with nine balls to spare.

Conway played a composed knock of 51 runs from 43 balls with three fours and one six, while Hardie struck 40 off 22, featuring three boundaries and two sixes.

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Earlier, Zia-ul-Haq gave the Super Kings a good start with the ball as he Dewald Brevis in the first over.

Shayan Jahangir played a scratchy 26-run knock from 23 balls before Monank Patel played a similar knock, scoring 48 off 41.

However, Rashid Khan helped the team to post a fighting total with a quick 55-run innings from 30 balls with the help of four boundaries and four sixes.

Khan got out in the penultimate over before Hardie bowled a brilliant last over.

Kieron Pollard and Heath Richards fell on back-to-back deliveries, but Hardie missed his hat-trick as Trent Boult got run out on the last ball of the innings.

Hardie and Marcus Stoinis picked two wickets each for the Super Kings, while Zia-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad and Dwayne Bravo bagged one each.

Texas Super Kings will next face the loser of the MLC 2024 Qualifier between San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom.

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All-round Calvin Savage leads Texas Super Kings to crush Seattle Orcas

DALLAS: Calvin Savage struck an unbeaten 45 and took two crucial top-order wickets to lead Texas Super Kings to a 37-run victory against Seattle Orcas in the last group-stage match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 on Tuesday.

Texas Super Kings after being invited to bat first posted a fighting total of 177-8 in the first innings and curtailed Seattle Orcas to 140-9 to secure a dominant victory.

Faf du Plessis gave the Super Kings a blistering start with a quick knock of 39 runs from 17 balls which featured six boundaries and one six, however, the team slipped to 49-3 in 5.1 overs.

Milind Kumar played cautious innings, scoring 29 off 28 with two sixes before Savage knitted a 43-run partnership with Cameron Stevenson (17).

Savage played a brilliant 27-ball knock, scoring 45 runs with the help of six boundaries and two sixes to help propel the team’s total to 177-8 in their allocated 20 overs.

Ayan Desai and Keemo Paul picked two wickets each for Seattle Orcas, while Cameron Gannon, Nandre Burger and Michael Bracewell bagged one each.

In response, Quinton de Kock and Shehan Jayasuriya helped Seattle Orcas get off to a decent start after losing Ryan Rickelton on the first ball.

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De Kock scored 26 off 19 with two boundaries and one six, while Jayasuriya managed a scratchy 24 with the help of three boundaries and one six.

However, Savage removed both set batters in consecutive overs to reduce the Orcas to 59-3 in 8.1 overs.

The chasing side lost two more quick wickets before Keemo Paul added 39 runs with Shubham Ranjane (16) for the sixth wicket.

Noor Ahmed castled Paul after he had scored 25 off 17 to dash the last remaining hope of the Orcas as the required run rate went above 18.

Seattle Orcas, the bottom-ranked side in the MLC 2024 points table, managed to score 140 runs in 20 overs after losing nine wickets.

Ottneil Baartman led the bowling charts for the Texas Super Kings with three wickets, while Savage and Noor Ahmed picked two wickets each.

Texas Super Kings finished the group stage in third position and will face MI New York in the Eliminator of the MLC 2024.

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Freedom thump Super Kings to solidify top berth in MLC standings

DALLAS: Travis Head and Steve Smith’s half-centuries, followed by Rachin Ravindra’s four-fer steered Washington Freedom to a 42-run victory over Texas Super Kings in the 17th match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024.

Put into bat first, Washington Freedom posted a massive total of 206/5 on the board, courtesy of half-centuries by Head and Smith.

Left-handed opener Head gave the Freedom a flying start with a quickfire half-century.

He added 59 runs for the first wicket with Smith, who managed to face just six balls inside the batting powerplay.

Head returned to the dugout in the fifth over with a 22-ball 53, laced up with 10 boundaries including two sixes.

The Freedom, however, soon slipped to 79/3 in 6.5 overs as Andries Gous and Rachin Ravindra perished with modest contributions.

Smith then played an anchoring role by holding one end firm, allowing Glenn Maxwell to take charge.

The all-rounder took on the Super Kings’ bowlers with his quick 34-run cameo which came off 23 deliveries and featured one four and three sixes.

Following Maxwell’s dismissal, Smith got going and notched up a well-crafted half-century.

He oversaw Freedom’s innings until the penultimate over and returned as the top-scorer with his 40-ball 57, peppered with two fours and three sixes.

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Middle-order batter Obus Pienaar played a pivotal role in pushing the Freedom’s total past the 200-run barrier with his unbeaten cameo. He scored an unbeaten 33 off 21 with the help of three sixes.

Nood Ahmad was the star with the ball for the Super Kings, picking up three wickets while Dwayne Bravo bagged two.

Chasing a daunting 207-run target, the Super Kings’ batting lineup unfolded on 164 on the penultimate delivery of the innings.

The home side, however, got off to a flamboyant start to the run chase with Faf du Plessis leading the charge in the batting powerplay, which yielded 76 runs.

But the Super Kings’ skipper lost the momentum after the batting powerplay and that sort of personified the Super Kings’ problems, who also lost steam once the field spread out, and kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Faf du Plessis top-scored for the Super Kings with a 32-ball 55 which featured five fours and as many sixes.

Calvin Savage played a fighting cameo towards the end but that only helped in slightly reducing the margin of defeat rather than forcing a turnaround.

Savage struck two fours and three sixes on his way to a 23-ball 35.

Rachin Ravindra led the bowling attack for the Super Kings with 4/16 in his 3.5 overs while Jasdeep Singh and Glenn Maxwell shared six wickets between them.

The resounding 42-run victory solidified Washington Freedom’s grip at the top of the MLC standings with 11 points in six matches while Texas Super Kings remained third with six points in as many matches.

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Faf du Plessis, Marcus Stoinis steer Texas Super Kings to victory against MI New York

DALLAS: Captain Faf du Plessis played a blistering 61-run knock, followed by Marcus Stoinis’s all-round exploits, which helped Texas Super Kings to edge past MI New York in a high-scoring Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 clash here at Grand Prairie Stadium on Sunday.

While batting first, Du Plessis led from the front, giving his side a fiery start with a 38-ball knock during his opening partnership with Devon Conway.

Nosthush Kenjige claimed the prized scalp of Du Plessis in the ninth over with 85 runs on the board. The Super Kings’ skipper top-scored with 61 runs, laced with four sixes and four boundaries.

Meanwhile, Conway scored 40 off 28 with three fours and one six before he fell prey to Ehsan Adil, leaving the home side with 121-2 in 13.1 overs.

Aaron Hardie played a 17-ball cameo scoring 22, while Stoinis scored an unbeaten 24 off 18 to take the team’s total to 176-6 in their allocated 20 overs.

Trent Boult led the bowling for MI New York with two wickets, while Rashid Khan, Nosthush Kenjige, and Ehsan Adil took one wicket each.

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In response, MI New York had a disastrous start to their campaign as they slipped to 52-5 in 11.2 overs courtesy of Stoinis and Zia-ul-Haq’s fiery bowling.

However, Monank Patel, who was playing an anchor’s role, was joined by Rashid Khan and together they raised 97 runs from 48 balls, attempting to force a comeback.

Both batters attacked Texas Super Kings’ bowlers, especially Naveen-ul-Haq, who gave eight runs in his first two overs but his other two overs went for 38 runs.

However, the required run-rate was too much to achieve as the equation came down to 32 needed off last over. Stoinis dismissed both batters in the last over, helping his side register a 15-run victory.

Patel top-scored with 61 off 45, while Rashid Khan scored a 23-ball 50, which featured four boundaries and five sixes.

Stoinis returned with bowling figures of 4-50, while Zia-ul-Haq claimed 2-15.

Earlier in the day, in another MLC 2024 match, Washington Freedom further solidified their position at the top of the table with a dominant eight-wicket victory over Los Angeles Knight Riders.

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Mohsin takes four as Texas Super Kings thump San Francisco Unicorns

MORRISVILLE: Mohammad Mohsin took four wickets, followed by a combined batting effort to steer Texas Super Kings to a comfortable victory over San Francisco Unicorns in the seventh match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 here at Church Street Park on Wednesday.

Texas Super Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis opted to bowl first in their third MLC 2024 game and Zia-ul-Haq proved the decision right as he removed both openers with meagre 29 runs on the board.

Matthew Short then played a quick cameo, scoring 33 off 15 with the help of two fours and three sixes before felling prey to Naveen-ul-Haq.

San Francisco Unicorns failed to recover as wickets kept falling at an alarming rate. Hassan Khan (19) and Haris Rauf (13) played valuable cameo to show some resistance before the team bundled out for 127 in 17.5 overs.

Mohammad Mohsin topped the bowling charts with the figures of 4-13, while Zia-ul-Haq and Dwayne Bravo took two wickets each.

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In respone, Devon Conway and Du Plessis gave the Super Kings a flying start with a 61 ruuns opening pair in 4.5 overs.

Du Plessis was dismissed by Liam Plunkett after scoring 34 runs from 17 balls which featured four sixes and one boundary.

Meanwhile, Conway, who was playing at 32 off 19 got retired hurt after hitting four boundaries.

Aaron Hardie then played a 23-ball innings of 34, which included three boundaries and two fours but was dismissed wiith 12 required to win.

Milind Kumar (4) and Mitchell Santner (9) then comforatbly chased the target, helping their team register a seven-wicket victory in 12.5 overs.

Hassan Khan picked two wickets for San Francisco Unicorns, while Plunkett got one.

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