MI London completed a commanding seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval, chasing down a target of 144 with 16 balls to spare. Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 58 from 22 balls was the centrepiece of the run chase, supported by a composed 60 not out from 39 balls by captain Sam Curran, as 20,540 spectators witnessed the result unfold under the Oval lights.
Sunrisers Set a Competitive Target
Sunrisers posted 143, setting MI London a target of 144 to win. The total appeared competitive on what was described as a slow surface early in the evening, and Sunrisers' bowlers made the most of those conditions in the opening phase of the chase.
MI London Lose Two Early Wickets
The chase began in difficult fashion. Brydon Carse, who bowled 15 of the first 20 deliveries, was the chief aggressor with the ball. Will Jacks departed in the sixth ball of the innings, caught by Benny Howell at cover off Carse for two, after the delivery angled into the stumps before seaming away. Jason Roy, playing on his 36th birthday, followed immediately, caught at slip by Mitchell Marsh off the same bowler for a duck — an outstanding delivery that generated pace and seam away from the right-hander's edge. MI London were eight for two after ten balls, with 136 still required.
James Vince and Sam Curran steadied the innings, though progress was measured. Curran worked singles and boundaries cautiously — a carved four through backward point off Carse among his early contributions — while Vince showed increasing fluency as the powerplay gave way to the spin-heavy middle overs. Matthew Potts, Benny Howell, and Dan Lawrence were all introduced without conceding heavily, with Abrar Ahmed also brought on and contained MI to some degree, though a Curran six over midwicket off the legspinner indicated the innings was gathering momentum.
Vince Departs, Pooran Takes Centre Stage
MI London were 51 for two after 44 deliveries when Vince's resistance ended. Nathan Ellis, returning for his second spell, beat Vince comprehensively with a delivery nipping in off a length to take out off stump. Vince made 17 from 18 balls. With 92 needed from 55 balls, the match was finely balanced — until Pooran arrived.
The West Indian left-hander immediately changed the tempo. Playing his first Hundred innings at the Kia Oval, Pooran launched into Benny Howell's next over, scoring 14 from three deliveries — a six over long on, four to fine leg off the angle, and four more swept off his pads. The over went for 17. Pooran continued to accelerate: a six high over the boundary off Dan Lawrence, another six off Matthew Potts driven over deep midwicket, and further boundaries as every bowler came under pressure. A fifty partnership with Curran arrived from just 23 deliveries.
Abrar Ahmed's return yielded two sixes in consecutive balls from Pooran — one swept high over square leg, the next slapped over long on — and Curran added a sixth of his own in the same over, driving powerfully over straight midwicket. Ellis returned with the replacement ball and Pooran reached his fifty from just 19 deliveries — the fastest half-century in franchise history, spanning both this season and the earlier incarnation as Oval Invincibles.
Pooran Seals the Win
With 11 needed from 20 balls, Curran launched a full toss from Potts over wide long on for six to reduce the equation further. The winning boundary came from Pooran himself in the following over, launching beyond mid off for four to complete a seven-wicket victory. Pooran finished unbeaten on 58 from 22 balls; Curran was unbeaten on 60 from 39. Their unbroken partnership of 93 came from 40 deliveries and proved decisive.
Sunrisers' bowlers had made a strong start with the early wickets from Carse — who finished with two for 18 from four overs — but had no answers to the combined 111111111 from Pooran and Curran once the floodlights altered the surface conditions. Ellis conceded 22 from his four overs for one wicket, while Howell, Lawrence, Potts, and Abrar Ahmed all went wicketless.
