Pooran and Curran Power MI London to Season-Opening Win at The Oval
MI London launched their Men's Hundred 2026 campaign with a commanding 7-wicket victory over Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval on Tuesday, wrapping up the chase with 16 balls to spare. A match that began cautiously for the home side was ultimately decided by two match-defining innings — a controlled 60* off 39 balls from captain Sam Curran and a breathtaking 58* off just 22 balls from Nicholas Pooran, who was named Player of the Match.
Sunrisers Leeds Struggle to Post a Competitive Total
Asked to bat first, Sunrisers Leeds were never able to sustain the momentum their powerful batting unit is capable of generating. The innings ultimately settled at a below-par total, with the visitors finishing on what would prove to be an insufficient score. While they did clear the rope ten times across the innings — with Mitchell Marsh (41 off 27), Tom Alsop (31 off 18) and Ryan Rickelton (25 off 16) each contributing three sixes — those clusters of boundaries were isolated. In the remaining 90 balls, excluding extras, Sunrisers managed only 83 runs, and that inability to sustain pressure between the big hits ultimately defined their innings.
Richard Gleeson was the standout performer with the ball for MI London, returning figures of 4/25 off 19 balls. His ability to extract steep bounce at The Oval proved difficult to negotiate, and he claimed wickets at crucial junctures to prevent Sunrisers from building a platform. Trent Boult was equally disciplined in the powerplay, bowling his 20 balls for just 17 runs and picking up one wicket. Curran himself chipped in with 2/27, and his reading of the game — including the decision to deploy Gleeson in extended spells — reflected sharp captaincy. Rashid Khan and Nathan Sowter also contributed with the ball, with Curran later noting that Sowter had done the job for MI London for a long time without always receiving the recognition he deserves.
A Scratchy Start Does Not Derail MI London's Chase
Chasing 144, MI London's start was far from fluent. Brydon Carse made an immediate impact for Sunrisers, bowling at pace and hitting the deck hard with unerring accuracy. He dismissed Jason Roy and Will Jacks in the powerplay, with MI London managing only 23/2 from the first 10 balls. Even after the early burst, runs did not flow freely, and the home side moved through the middle phase without the authority their batting line-up promised.
The arrival of James Vince steadied things momentarily, but he was bowled by Nathan Ellis for 17 off 18 balls — a well-disguised change-of-pace delivery that removed the middle stump — leaving MI London at 52/3. At that point, 92 runs were still required off 56 balls, and Sunrisers had genuine belief they could defend their total.
Pooran Changes the Complexion in an Instant
That belief evaporated rapidly once Nicholas Pooran strode to the crease. The left-hander was in no mood to rebuild. Inside his first six balls, he had already hit two fours and a six off Benny Howell, immediately shifting the tempo. Against Daniel Lawrence, he added a six off the full ball on the stumps and then paddled another four fine. By the time the strategic timeout arrived at the 60-ball mark, MI London had reached 88/3 — a position from which the result was rarely in doubt.
Pooran's fifty arrived in just 19 balls, the fastest fifty for MI London in the men's Hundred competition and one of the fastest in the tournament's history. He finished on 58* off 22 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, and his partnership with Curran for the fourth wicket reached 93* — the highest fourth-wicket stand for MI London in the men's Hundred, and the third-highest such partnership in the competition overall.
Sam Curran, batting at number five, was the perfect foil. While Pooran attacked, Curran accumulated with intelligence, dealing in boundaries when the opportunity presented and rotating the strike with composure. His fifty arrived off 34 balls and he remained unbeaten on 60. Together, the pair took MI London from 52/3 to the finishing line, scoring the winning boundary in the 84th ball of the innings — a Pooran drive over the mid-off fielder off Matthew Potts that sealed a 7-wicket win.
A Statement Opening to the Campaign
The win gave MI London — entering the tournament as favourites given the depth of their assembled squad — exactly the start they needed. Curran, speaking after the match, reflected that the bowling unit's discipline had been the foundation, pointing to Gleeson's wicket-taking burst, Rashid's contribution and Sowter's consistent performances as key factors. He also acknowledged the influence of senior players like James Vince and Will Jacks in shaping his captaincy decisions on the night — Jacks did not even bowl, yet Curran described him as having a huge role to play in the side going forward.
For Sunrisers Leeds, the defeat was a reminder that their format-changing batting depth means little if wickets fall regularly outside of isolated power-hitting moments. Ten sixes but 83 runs from 90 non-six balls tells its own story. They will need greater partnerships and a higher base score when they next take the field.
MI London's next assignment follows shortly, but on this opening Tuesday at The Oval, the home side made their intentions clear: with Pooran finding form, Curran leading by example and Gleeson offering a new bowling dimension, they look a formidable unit in 2026.
