Pooran Blazes MI London to Seven-Wicket Win Over Sunrisers at Kia Oval
Nicholas Pooran produced one of the innings of the Hundred's season so far, striking an unbeaten 58 from just 22 balls to guide MI London to a seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval, with 16 balls remaining. Chasing a target of 144, MI London were wobbling at 51 for 3 after 44 deliveries before Pooran and captain Sam Curran — who finished on 60 not out from 39 balls — combined for a match-winning partnership of 40 balls that left Sunrisers without an answer.
Sunrisers Strike Early with the Ball
Sunrisers made a disciplined start with the ball. Brydon Carse was particularly devastating in the opening phase, dismissing Will Jacks in the sixth delivery of the chase for 2, caught by Benny Howell at cover after being beaten by movement away off the seam. Just two balls later, on his 36th birthday, Jason Roy was caught at slip by Mitchell Marsh off Carse for a duck, the delivery seaming away sharply from a good line. Those two wickets left MI London at 8 for 2 after ten balls, with 136 still needed from 90.
Carse's figures through his opening burst were exceptional — 2 for 8 from his first ten deliveries — and he continued to build pressure alongside Matthew Potts at the other end. James Vince and Sam Curran steadied the ship cautiously, but runs were hard to come by. At the halfway point of the chase, MI London had crawled to 13 for 2 from 20 balls, needing 131 from the remaining 80.
Vince and Curran Weather the Storm
Vince and Curran offered MI London a platform, though neither cut loose immediately. Potts was parsimonious, conceding just one run from his first five deliveries to Curran. Vince found back-to-back boundaries off Potts in the 28th and 29th balls — a short-arm pull and an inside edge — to bring some momentum, but progress remained measured. At 30 balls bowled, MI London were 33 for 2, needing 111 from 70.
Benny Howell and Abrar Ahmed were introduced into the attack, and both applied further pressure through variation in pace and turn. Curran launched Abrar over midwicket for six in the 37th ball to bring up some acceleration, but a run-a-ball requirement remained demanding. At 40 balls, MI stood at 49 for 2, still needing 95 from 60, and it was at this stage that Nathan Ellis removed Vince for 17, bowled through the gate by a delivery that nipped in sharply off a length to take out off stump. Ellis had beaten Vince with an almost identical delivery the ball before.
Pooran Changes the Complexion of the Chase
Nicholas Pooran walked in at 51 for 3 with MI London needing 93 from 57 deliveries. What followed was a display of clean, calculated hitting that shifted the match's entire complexion. He hit 4, 6, 4 off Benny Howell in rapid succession — a fine-leg sweep, a straight six over long on, and another swept four — taking 14 from just three Howell deliveries. The West Indian left-hander moved his front leg deftly to create room and was timing the ball through the full arc of the ground.
Dan Lawrence's offbreaks offered no respite. Pooran hit a six over the boundary sponge from a length ball and then, off the very next over from Abrar Ahmed, struck back-to-back sixes — one swept high over square leg, one slapped over long on — to bring up a 50-run partnership between himself and Curran from just 23 deliveries. The 50-stand came in the 67th ball of the innings, at which point MI needed 45 from 33.
Pooran reached his fifty from just 19 deliveries — the fastest fifty in the history of the franchise, including its previous incarnation as Oval Invincibles. He continued in the same vein: a tickled four off Ellis to fine leg from a full ball on leg stump, then back-to-back sixes off Abrar Ahmed. By the time the 75th ball arrived, MI needed just 17 from 25.
Curran Holds the Other End
While Pooran was the aggressor, Sam Curran's contribution was no less significant to the result. The MI London captain made 60 not out from 39 balls, a knock that combined restraint during the early pressure period with decisive hitting once the platform was established. He struck six fours and two sixes, including a full-toss from Potts launched over wide long on for six when 11 were needed from 20. His 51 from 34 deliveries was described in the commentary as a proper captain's knock.
A Sam Curran six off Potts — a full toss clattered over wide long on — reduced the equation to 11 needed from 20 balls. Pooran then tickled Ellis through fine leg for four, and with four needed from the final over, Pooran pulled Potts beyond mid off to seal the win with 16 balls to spare.
Sunrisers Left Without Answers
Sunrisers' bowling had started the chase in impressive fashion, with Carse finishing with 2 for 18 from his 20 deliveries — a notably economical return. Ellis claimed the key wicket of Vince to finish with 1 for 22 from his 20 balls. However, the slow-bowling options — Howell (0 for 24), Abrar Ahmed (0 for 30), and Lawrence (0 for 13) — were unable to halt Pooran and Curran once the pair had settled. Potts finished wicketless from his 20 deliveries, conceding 22 runs.
A crowd of 20,540 at the Kia Oval witnessed the conclusion of a chase that ultimately belonged to two left-handers finding their range under the floodlights. MI London skipper Sam Curran noted after the match that Pooran would have a lot of fun batting at the Oval. Pooran, named Meerkat Match Hero, reflected that he and Curran tried to stay as positive as possible, and that once the lights came on and the ball began to slide on, the partnership was able to accelerate. The win gives MI London a commanding opening statement in their Hundred campaign.
