MI London completed a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval, reaching a target of 144 with 16 balls to spare. The result was built on a blistering partnership between Nicholas Pooran and Sam Curran that dismantled the Sunrisers bowling attack across the middle and back end of the innings.
Sunrisers Strike Early Through Carse
Chasing 144, MI London were put under immediate pressure by Brydon Carse, who opened the bowling and delivered a sustained spell of pace and movement. Carse struck in his very first over, removing Will Jacks for 2. The delivery angled into the stumps before seaming away, and Jacks, attempting to work it to the leg side, spooned a catch to Benny Howell at cover. Two balls later, Jason Roy — playing on his 36th birthday — was caught at slip for a first-ball duck, an outstanding delivery from Carse that seamed away and drew a thick edge to Mitchell Marsh. MI London were 8 for 2 inside the first five overs, and the equation read 136 from 90 balls.
Carse finished his opening stint of ten consecutive balls with figures of 2 for 8, completing a spell that set a testing tone for the MI batting lineup. He returned later to finish with 2 for 18 from his full allocation — a miserly effort that gave Sunrisers a platform to build from.
Vince and Curran Steady the Chase
James Vince joined Sam Curran in the middle and the two worked to stabilise the innings without taking undue risks. Matthew Potts and Nathan Ellis applied disciplined pressure, and the run rate climbed quietly without either batter forcing the issue. Vince found boundaries through the leg side and backward point but never truly looked at ease, particularly against Ellis, whose pace and nip caused repeated discomfort.
Ellis eventually ended Vince's stay in the 45th ball of the innings, bowling him for 17. A delivery very similar to the one that had beaten Vince's edge the ball prior nipped in sharply and removed off stump. Vince had battled for 18 deliveries and, while his knock did not yield great fluency, his partnership with Curran was vital in keeping MI in the chase. At that stage, 92 were needed from 55 balls, with Curran on 26 and Nicholas Pooran entering the crease.
Pooran and Curran Take Control
The introduction of Pooran immediately changed the complexion of the game. Facing Benny Howell's spin, Pooran struck three boundaries in quick succession — a four over fine leg, a six over long on, and another four, with the West Indian moving his front foot deftly to create room. In three balls against Howell, Pooran had 14 runs.
Dan Lawrence's off-spin provided a brief check, but Pooran continued to score freely, lifting a six high over the boundary and working singles with ease. The partnership grew rapidly. When Matthew Potts returned to stem the flow, Pooran greeted him with a six over deep midwicket from a length ball, and the two left-handers had put on 37 from 16 deliveries between them by that point.
After 60 balls, MI needed 56 from 40, but the chase had momentum. Curran moved to his half-century from 34 deliveries — skewing a two beyond point off Abrar Ahmed — and shortly after, Pooran raced to his own fifty from 19 balls, the fastest half-century recorded for this franchise. The milestone came via a single to deep cover off Ellis, who had delivered a 19-ball spell that could not contain Pooran's strokeplay for long.
Abrar Ahmed conceded back-to-back sixes in his final over — one swept high over square leg and the next slapped over long on — as Pooran moved to 54 from 20 balls. Ellis finished his spell and the partnership was worth well over fifty runs at this point.
Pooran Completes the Victory
With 11 needed from 20 balls, the match was effectively settled. Curran launched a full toss from Potts over wide long on for six. Then, in the same over, Pooran clipped the final ball of that over for four through mid off to bring MI London home. The winning hit, a crisp drive past mid off off Potts, was entirely appropriate — Pooran finishing unbeaten on 58 from 22 balls, with 4 fours and 5 sixes, alongside Curran's 60 not out from 39 balls.
The stand between the two had produced 93 runs from 40 deliveries after MI had been reduced to 51 for 3. Sunrisers, despite an outstanding early bowling performance through Carse, had no answers once Pooran found his range and the floodlights altered the conditions at the Kia Oval. A crowd of 20,540 witnessed the final stages of a chase that, from the outside, looked in the balance for much of the first half but was ultimately settled with authority.
