MI London began their Hundred campaign with a seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval, chasing down a target of 144 with 16 balls to spare. The win was not without its difficult moments — two wickets fell inside the first ten deliveries, and a third departure left MI London at 51 for 3 midway through the chase — but a composed recovery built on a partnership between Sam Curran and Nicholas Pooran carried the side home without further loss.
An Uncertain Start
MI London's chase began poorly. Brydon Carse, operating with pace and movement in the powerplay, removed Will Jacks in the sixth ball of the innings for 2, the ball seaming away to produce a catch at cover. Jason Roy, in only his second delivery, edged to slip and was gone for 0. The side were 8 for 2 before the innings had properly begun, and Carse continued to trouble the incoming batters.
James Vince and Sam Curran steadied matters through the middle section, rotating the strike and surviving some testing spells from Carse and Matthew Potts. The run rate requirement climbed — 135 needed from 85 balls at the midpoint, then 111 from 70 — but the pair held their ground without attempting anything reckless. Vince in particular absorbed pressure, though he found scoring difficult against the Sunrisers' disciplined lengths.
The partnership was broken in the 45th ball of the innings when Nathan Ellis bowled Vince through the gate for 17. It was a quality delivery that found the edge of off stump, and it brought the equation back to 93 required from 56 balls with Nicholas Pooran at the crease.
Curran Provides the Foundation
Throughout the difficult early phase and into the period of consolidation, Sam Curran's innings gave MI London their backbone. He came in at 8 for 2 and was still there at the close, finishing unbeaten on 60 from 39 balls. His knock included five fours and two sixes, and it covered both the difficult powerplay period when runs were hard to come by and the acceleration phase when the game opened up.
Several of his boundaries came at important moments. A six over straight midwicket off Abrar Ahmed, described in commentary as imperious, arrived when MI London needed to shift the momentum. A full toss from Potts was launched over wide long on when 11 were still needed. As skipper, Curran led from the front across the full arc of the innings, managing both the tempo and the scorecard through each phase of the chase.
The Partnership That Settled It
Once Pooran arrived at the crease, MI London's chase changed pace entirely. The two left-handers put on 93 runs from 40 deliveries between the point of Vince's dismissal and the winning boundary, exploiting the conditions as the floodlights came on and the ball began to come onto the bat more readily.
The fifty partnership arrived in just 23 deliveries. Pooran's fifty, from 19 balls, was recorded as the fastest fifty in the history of this franchise — including the previous Oval Invincibles era. Curran reached his own fifty from 34 deliveries with a skewed boundary beyond point, described in commentary as a proper captain's knock.
The seamers and spinners used in the final stages — Potts, Ellis, Howell, Lawrence, and Abrar Ahmed — were all dealt with in turn. When Pooran struck Potts through the off side in the final over, the match was done. Seven wickets, 16 balls remaining, and a commanding win on opening night in front of 20,540 spectators at the Kia Oval.
Significance of the Victory
The result gives MI London a strong start in the competition. Their ability to recover from 8 for 2, absorb a third wicket in the middle overs, and then accelerate decisively with two well-set batters will be noted as a positive indicator of the squad's composure under pressure. The batting depth was not fully tested — only three wickets fell — and the unbroken stand between Curran and Pooran suggested MI London have the firepower to chase down totals of this size even from difficult positions.
Curran, speaking after the match, noted that seeing Vince and himself weather the storm before Pooran arrived was pleasing, and highlighted the shift in conditions once the lights came on as a factor in the chase. MI London move into the competition with full points and a performance that will give their squad confidence going forward.
