MI London completed a commanding seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval on Sunday evening, chasing down a target of 144 with 16 deliveries remaining. Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 58 from 22 deliveries was the centrepiece of the chase, and his match-winning stand with captain Sam Curran — who finished unbeaten on 60 from 39 — ultimately made the result look straightforward despite a very difficult start.
Sunrisers Strike Early With the Pitch and Carse
MI London's innings began under pressure. Brydon Carse led Sunrisers' attack with immediate intent, delivering at consistent pace and extracting movement off the surface. Will Jacks departed in the sixth over for 2, caught at cover after being beaten by a delivery that angled in before seaming away. Jason Roy, playing on his 36th birthday, followed shortly after — edging to slip for a duck, caught by Mitchell Marsh off another Carse delivery that shaped away sharply. Two wickets inside the first ten overs left MI at 8 for 2, still requiring 136 from 90 remaining.
Sam Curran walked in alongside James Vince, and the pair set about steadying the innings. Progress was slow and deliberate, with Carse and Matthew Potts both maintaining disciplined lengths to keep the scoring rate in check. Vince accumulated carefully, reaching 17 before Nathan Ellis removed him — bowled through the gate after a delivery nipped back sharply off a length, leaving off stump disturbed. MI were 51 for 3 after 44 deliveries, still needing 93 from the remaining 56.
Pooran Changes the Complexion of the Chase
Nicholas Pooran walked in at that point and altered the match almost immediately. Facing Benny Howell's slower variations, Pooran struck four, six, four in quick succession — working the angles with crisp footwork and clean hitting. He moved to 17 from six deliveries, and the required rate, which had looked daunting, began to tumble rapidly.
Dan Lawrence's offspin offered brief respite for Sunrisers, but Pooran continued to find boundaries, launching a six high over the leg side before adding a single that brought him back on strike consistently. Meanwhile, Curran was thriving at the other end, reaching his fifty from 34 deliveries with a six over midwicket off Abrar Ahmed.
The fifty partnership between Pooran and Curran came up off just 23 deliveries — a stand that effectively ended the contest as a competitive event. Pooran reached his own half-century from 19 deliveries, the fastest fifty recorded for this franchise. He struck a further pair of sixes off Abrar Ahmed in consecutive hits — a sweep over square leg and a flat drive over long on — to reduce the requirement to a handful.
A Comprehensive Finish
Matthew Potts returned for a final set of five, but Curran greeted him with a full toss that was launched over wide long on for six. With 11 required from 20 remaining, the outcome was beyond doubt. Pooran settled the match with a four driven beyond mid off, sealing victory with 16 deliveries left.
Carse was the pick of the Sunrisers attack, finishing with 2 for 18 from his 20-delivery allocation — a tight, incisive spell that gave his side every chance with the early wickets. Ellis took one wicket and Ellis conceded 22 runs from his 20. Potts, Howell, Lawrence, and Abrar Ahmed went wicketless. The second half of the Sunrisers attack had no answers for Pooran and Curran once the partnership was established.
Pooran was named the Meerkat Match Hero for his innings of 58 not out from 22 deliveries, which included four fours and five sixes. His partnership with Curran — worth 93 runs from 40 deliveries — was the decisive phase of the match. A crowd of 20,540 at the Kia Oval witnessed MI London begin their campaign with a statement victory.
