MI New York triumph in final-over thriller to claim MLC title

Dallas, July 14 (IANS) After losing six of their first seven matches this season, MI New York produced one of the most remarkable turnarounds in franchise T20 history, capturing the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) title with a tense five-run win over defending champions Washington Freedom here at Grand Prairie Stadium.

Needing 12 runs from the final over in their chase of 181, Washington Freedom had two seasoned finishers - Glenn Maxwell and Glenn Phillips - at the crease, keeping their hopes alive. The pressure was on 22-year-old Rushil Ugarkar, tasked with bowling the last six balls. Maxwell took a single off the first delivery and Phillips followed suit with another.

Maxwell then swung hard at the third but missed completely. With 10 required off the final three balls, Maxwell went for a big heave over midwicket but only managed to sky it to long-on, where Michael Bracewell held on to a vital catch.

Debutant Obus Pienaar swung and missed at the fifth, leaving the equation at 10 needed off the last ball - a bridge too far. The final dot sealed an incredible comeback and a championship triumph for MI New York.

Freedom’s run chase got off to a disastrous start, with Trent Boult removing Mitchell Owen and Andries Gous in the first over to leave them reeling at 0 for 2. Rachin Ravindra and Jack Edwards then put together a steadying 84-run stand. Ravindra led the scoring with a superb 70 off 41 balls, including eight fours and two sixes while Edwards added 33 from 22 deliveries. The partnership ended in the ninth over when Edwards was caught at long-on off Nosthush Kenjige.

Ravindra and Phillips added 46 more but Ravindra's dismissal in the 16th over -slicing a wide slower delivery from Ugarkar to extra cover - shifted the momentum back to MINY.

Phillips kept the chase alive with two sixes off Tristan Luus in the 18th over but Boult’s tight penultimate over, conceding only 12, left Freedom needing as many in the last. Ugarkar then held his nerve to close out the match.

Earlier, Quinton de Kock anchored the MI New York innings with a fluent 77 off 46 balls, striking six fours and four sixes. He put on a 72-run opening stand with Monank Patel, who scored 28 off 22 before falling to Lockie Ferguson. Tajinder Dhillon was dismissed by Ian Holland in the 10th over, bringing in Nicholas Pooran.

Pooran and de Kock added 56 for the fourth wicket before Saurabh Netravalkar broke the partnership, drawing Pooran into a mistimed shot that was caught at cover.

Lockie Ferguson was the pick of the Freedom bowlers, finishing with figures of 3 for 24. His second spell was pivotal, dismissing the set de Kock and the dangerous Kieron Pollard in the same over. Glenn Maxwell, though expensive, chipped in with the wicket of Michael Bracewell.

MI New York stumbled late, losing five wickets for 18 runs, but a valuable unbeaten 22 off 13 balls from Kunwarjeet Singh at the death helped them post a competitive total - one that ultimately proved just enough.

Brief scores: MI New York 180/7 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 77; Lockie Ferguson 3-21) beat Washington Freedom 175/5 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 70; Trent Boult 2-32, Rushil Ugarkar 2-32) by five runs.

--IANS

ab/bc