MI New York pulled off one of the most remarkable turnarounds in franchise T20 history, clinching the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) title with a five-run win over defending champions Washington Freedom at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

Chasing 181, Freedom needed 12 runs off the final over which was bowled by 22-year-old Rushil Ugarkar, with a well-set Glenn Phillips and captain Glenn Maxwell at the crease. Maxwell took a single off the first ball, Phillips followed with another single before Maxwell had a big swipe at the third ball and missed. With 10 required off 3, Maxwell attempted a slog over midwicket but mistimed the ball high towards long-on, where Michael Bracewell took the catch. Obus Pienaar, the new batter, swung and missed at the fifth delivery, which left Freedom needing 10 off the final ball and effectively sealed the dream turnaround for MINY.

It was a horror start to the run-chase by Freedom, who lost Mitchell Owen and Andries Gous to Trent Boult in the first over of the chase and were tottering at 0 for 2 before a 84-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Jack Edwards steadied the innings. Ravindra top-scored with 70 off 41 balls, hitting 8 fours and 2 sixes, while Edwards contributed 33 off 22. The partnership was broken in the ninth over when Edwards was caught at long-on off Nosthush Kenjige. Glenn Phillips (48 not out) and Ravindra added another 46 runs but once Ravindra fell to Rushil Ugarkar in the 16th over, slicing a wide slower ball to extra cover, MINY regained control. Phillips kept Washington in the hunt with two sixes off Tristan Luus in the 18th over but Boult conceded only 12 in the 19th to leave 12 required off the last over, which witnessed a calm Ugarkar defend the runs with ease.

Earlier in the day, Quinton de Kock top-scored with a fluent 46-ball 77 featuring 6 fours and 4 sixes, and shared a 72-run opening stand with Monank Patel, who made 28 off 22 balls before mistiming a Lockie Ferguson delivery to cover. Once Tajinder Dhillon fell to Ian Holland in the 10th over, out came Nicholas Pooran, who added 56 runs for the fourth wicket with de Kock to steady the ship. Saurabh Netravalkar broke that stand, cleverly bowling an off-pace delivery wide outside off and having Pooran slicing his shot to cover.

Ferguson was Washington Freedom’s standout bowler with figures of 3 for 24, his second spell accounting for a well-set de Kock and an in-form Kieron Pollard in the same over. Maxwell was expensive with the ball but chipped in with the wicket of Michael Bracewell as MINY lost five wickets for 18 runs. Kunwarjeet Singh’s 22 not out off 13 balls in the last few overs allowed Pooran’s side to post a total that looked just about par for the surface and proved enough in the end.

Brief Scores: MI New York 180/7 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 77; Lockie Ferguson 3-21) beat Washington Freedom 175/5 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 70; Trent Boult 2-32, Rushil Ugarkar 2-32) by 5 runs

Source: Cricbuzz

- Agencies