MI London completed a commanding seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval on Wednesday evening, overhauling a target of 144 with 16 deliveries remaining. Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 58 from 22 deliveries was the defining contribution of the chase, coming together with an equally composed half-century from captain Sam Curran to put the result beyond doubt.
Sunrisers Set 144 — Carse Applies Early Pressure
Sunrisers posted 143 in their innings, setting MI London a target of 144. From the opening delivery of the chase, Sunrisers' bowlers made their presence felt. Brydon Carse was the chief architect of MI London's early difficulties, operating at sustained pace and troubling the top order from the first over. Will Jacks fell in the sixth delivery, caught by Benny Howell at cover off Carse for 2, after being beaten by movement that angled into the stumps before seaming away as he attempted to hit across the line.
Two deliveries later, on his 36th birthday, Jason Roy edged a seaming delivery from Carse to Mitchell Marsh at slip for a duck. The thick edge off a fending stroke was taken sharply, and MI London found themselves at 8 for 2 after ten deliveries — still needing 136 from 90 remaining.
Vince and Curran Provide Stability
James Vince joined Sam Curran at the crease with the innings in an uncertain state. The pair managed the pressure from Carse and Matthew Potts through the middle of the powerplay, rotating the strike and avoiding further damage. Curran was the more fluent of the two, picking up a boundary off an inside edge through point in the fifth over and another clipped to the on side as the innings developed. Vince contributed without ever fully settling, finding a short-arm pull off Potts for four among his moments of timing but generally playing within himself against consistent lengths delivered at pace.
At the halfway stage of the innings, MI London were 33 for 2, requiring 111 from 70 deliveries. The asking rate was manageable but not comfortable, and Sunrisers continued to rotate options. Benny Howell's mixture of slower deliveries did not yield a wicket, though he produced a moral-victory edge from Curran that dribbled beyond short third for four. Abrar Ahmed entered and found immediate turn, though both Curran and Vince were able to keep the scoreboard moving — Curran launching one length delivery over midwicket for six — as the stand gradually eased the requirement.
Vince's patience eventually ran out against Nathan Ellis. Having survived a near-miss when one delivery beat him through the gap, Vince was undone by a similar ball the following over — nipping in at pace to take out off stump. He departed for 17 from 18 deliveries, and the asking rate had tightened to around 95 from 60 with MI London at 49 for 3.
Pooran Changes the Complexion
Nicholas Pooran walked in at 51 for 3 after 44 deliveries and immediately altered the nature of the contest. He reached his half-century from just 19 deliveries — the fastest fifty recorded for this franchise across both the current competition and its previous incarnation as Oval Invincibles. By the time he passed that mark, MI London had moved well clear of the equation.
Pooran targeted the slower bowlers with particular intent. Against Howell, he struck three scoring deliveries in succession — four over fine leg, six over long on, and another four clipped through the leg side — lifting 14 off a single over before the field could be adjusted. When Dan Lawrence introduced his off-spin, Pooran cleared the on-side boundary twice to keep the momentum going. Abrar Ahmed returned and was struck for back-to-back sixes, one swept high over square leg and another slapped over long on.
Curran, meanwhile, was building quietly at the other end. He reached his own fifty from 34 deliveries, with five fours and two sixes among his contributions, the innings anchoring the chase as Pooran provided the acceleration. The pair put on their fifty stand from just 23 deliveries.
The Final Push
With 11 needed from 20 deliveries entering the 17th set, Matthew Potts returned for his final allocation. Curran launched a full toss over wide long on for six to reduce the requirement further. Pooran then collected a boundary off the final delivery of the over — tickling Ellis through fine leg — to leave the equation entirely in MI London's favour.
The winning hit came from Pooran in the following over, launching beyond mid off to complete the victory. MI London reached 144 for 3, winning by seven wickets with 16 deliveries unused. A crowd of 20,540 at the Kia Oval witnessed the conclusion.
Carse finished with 2 for 18 from his 20-delivery allocation, the standout bowling effort of the evening for Sunrisers. Ellis took 1 for 22. Pooran was named Meerkat Match Hero for his unbeaten 58, while Curran's unbeaten 60 from 39 deliveries provided the platform that made the innings possible. MI London's captain acknowledged after the match that the pair had aimed to maintain a positive approach once the lights came on, at which point the surface had quickened sufficiently to support their stroke-play.
