MI London completed a dominant seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval, overhauling a target of 144 with 16 deliveries remaining. Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 58 from 22 deliveries was the centrepiece of the chase, while captain Sam Curran contributed an equally measured 60 not out from 39 to anchor the innings through its most demanding phase.
A Shaky Start Under Bright Lights
MI London's reply did not begin smoothly. Brydon Carse made an immediate impact with the new delivery, removing Will Jacks in the sixth delivery of the innings. Jacks attempted to launch over the leg side but was beaten by late movement, spooning a catch to Benny Howell at cover for 2. Two deliveries later, Jason Roy — playing on his 36th birthday — edged a sharp, seaming delivery through to Mitchell Marsh at slip for a duck. MI London were reduced to 8 for 2 after just ten deliveries, with 136 still required.
James Vince joined Curran in the middle and the two batters steadied proceedings through a watchful period. The pitch was playing slowly under the evening sky, making stroke-play difficult, and Sunrisers' bowlers — led by the disciplined Carse — kept the scoring rate under pressure. Carse finished his allocation with figures of 2 for 18, a spell of sustained accuracy that had given Sunrisers genuine hope early in the chase.
Vince Departs, Pooran Arrives
Vince made 17 from 18 deliveries before Nathan Ellis ended his stay, the delivery nipping in sharply to take out off stump. That brought Pooran to the crease at 51 for 3 after 44 deliveries, with 93 required from 56 remaining. The equation looked challenging, but Pooran's arrival changed the complexion of the chase almost immediately.
With Curran already set at the other end, the two left-handers began to take the attack apart. Benny Howell's over yielded 17 runs as Pooran struck him for a four and a six in quick succession, reading the slower deliveries with ease. Dan Lawrence's off-spin fared no better, with Pooran launching him over the boundary in a 13-run over. The commentators noted that once the floodlights came on fully and the outfield quickened, the scoring became significantly easier for both batters.
The fifty partnership between Pooran and Curran arrived from just 23 deliveries. Pooran reached his half-century from only 19 deliveries — the fastest fifty in the franchise's history across its previous incarnation as Oval Invincibles and the current MI London era. He greeted the milestone by blowing a kiss toward his family in the stands.
Abrar Ahmed Offers Brief Resistance
Sunrisers turned to leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed in search of a breakthrough, but Curran greeted him with a six over straight midwicket before Pooran launched two consecutive sixes — one swept high over square leg, the other slapped over long on — to effectively put the match beyond doubt. Abrar finished his allocation without a wicket, conceding 30 runs from his ten-delivery spell.
Matthew Potts returned to the attack in an attempt to stem the flow but was struck for a six by Pooran first up — a length delivery thumped over deep midwicket — and Curran followed with a six over wide long on from a full toss. The required rate had collapsed from a challenging 9.3 per over at the fifty-delivery mark to something far more manageable, with the partnership producing 37 from just 16 deliveries at one stage.
Curran's Captain's Knock
While Pooran's hitting drew the most attention, Curran's innings was its own story. He came in early after the double blow and batted through the entire chase, finishing unbeaten on 60 from 39 deliveries. His knock included five fours and two sixes, and he was a consistent presence even when Pooran was dominating the strike. The commentary described it as a "proper captain's knock," and Curran's own post-match assessment acknowledged he was pleased to see Pooran and Vince weather the difficult early phase before things opened up.
The Finish
The end came in the 15th over of MI London's innings, delivered by Potts. After a single from Curran, Pooran drove beyond mid off to complete the victory — a four that sealed the seven-wicket win with 16 deliveries to spare. The 20,540-strong crowd at the Kia Oval witnessed a clinical second-half performance from MI London after Sunrisers had set what appeared a competitive total of 143.
Pooran was named the Meerkat Match Hero for his unbeaten 58 from 22 deliveries, an innings that took MI London from a precarious position to a comfortable win in the space of 40 deliveries alongside Curran. Sunrisers, despite a fine opening burst from Carse, had no answers once the two left-handers found their rhythm under the floodlights at the Kia Oval.
