MI New York announces players retained for MLC 2024!

This one was for the ages! A match MI New York had no business winning with a 41-run margin at one stage, but Nicholas Pooran’s single-handed effort with the bat, and then the bowlers putting on a combined effort, tightening the screws and refusing to let the LAKR batters get any sort of momentum in the chase, ensured a happy end to proceedings. Quinton and fliers, the love story adds another chapter Tacky pitch? Having been sent in to bat first in slightly overcast conditions? Nothing seems to have made a difference to Quinton de Kock, who went about his business in the powerplay in style with three fours and two sixes in his 17-ball 33. Batting looked simple when he was around, until……The 40 runs | 5 wickets collapse Once he fell, the Caribbean trio in Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Jason Holder triggered a collapse, and suddenly at 75/5 in the 12th over, it just looked like an unplayable minefield. Nicky P, captain, leader, inspiration Nicholas Pooran stuck around. While it was a free-flowing typical Nicky innings a couple of games ago against TSK, this one was the gritty, captain’s anchor from him. He batted through the innings, scored 70 off 58, and with some help from Romario Shephed (20 off 16), took MINY to a 144/6 in 20 overs, giving the bowlers some chance. From 53/0 to 103 all-out, the MINY stranglehold! It all began with a stroke of luck, when confusion between Andre Russell and Colin Munro resulted in a run-out to open the door for MINY. They had put on a 53-run stand in the seventh over, and seemed to be cruising towards the total. Nosthush Kenjige then spun his web, getting Unmukt Chand and Sunil Narine in the same over. He followed it up with the dangerous Rovman Powell’s scalp an over later. And suddenly, the tables were turned. Corbin Bosch then came in, got Jason Holder and Andre Russell in the same over, before coming back and getting Fletcher, LAKR’s last batting hope to seal the deal in style. Let's not forget Romario Shepherd's spell either, conceding just five runs in his four overs! 50 runs, 10 wickets, and a heist successfully executed!

The Oakland Coliseum has been a some sort of a mystery. Some games have seen over 200 being scored for fun, while the same pitch has been two-paced and a real struggle for batters in the afternoon games. Against the LA Knight Riders, MI New York were caught up in a similar muddle at one point on Saturday (June 27), having been part of a low-scoring thriller a day earlier, and then having seen a massive chase in the next game. In what was going on to become another potential low-scoring encounter, the boys in Blue and Gold just stuck it out, got to a decent-looking total. And then created havoc with the ball. Nosthush Kenjige, who spun his web around the LAKR batters to trigger the collapse, was at the post-match press conference, sharing his views.“It’s been a little puzzling because some matches have gone to 200-220, and we played a match yesterday where we didn’t score enough, and today we defended 140,” he said. “What we can sense is that it gets better and better to bat on as the day progresses. So the plan was to get to 160 today. Nicky (Nicholas Pooran) showed the way to bat. He just stayed till the end and backed himself to hit those big ones at the end…once we got in we figured out that it was two-paced. We just looked to make sure to keep it as simple as possible. Once the run-rate started creeping up, they started making mistakes.”He was happy to give the entire coaching team the credit for his bowling plans and the eventual success. It’s the pre-match preparations where the game was won. “The credit goes to our Bowling Coach, Mitch (McClenaghan) and our Head Coach.  This is one of the teams where the preparations is top notch. There’s nothing that’s left unturned. Every time you go onto the field, you know what your plans are and who you are bowling to. It’s a different thing if you don’t execute. But it gives us the maximum chance to be successful.”At the halfway stage, when Nicholas Pooran was grinding it out for a 58-ball 70, you knew this wasn’t a featherbed. It was a knock that gave the entire team some belief. And Kenjige and Co. had their plans chalked out. “It’s very important for the team to have good chemistry and good vibes. If you see the captain, when we saw him bat, he batted close to 20 overs, but scores just 60-odd runs (70). In a usual T20, he would be making 120-130. You know then that this isn’t an easy wicket to bat on. The energy levels were high there, knowing what we are capable of. We have world class bowlers in our side as well. It was about controlling the controllables and just going there and seeing what we can do in those 20 overs,” he said.  Such wins lift the entire dressing room. Such wins set the tone for the rest of the season. MLC 2026, MI New York have arrived, officially! “It is early on in the tournament and it was quite needed as well. We were down 2-1 and this will help us swing that momentum around and we can get the ball rolling.”

In fact there’s no reason to sulk. It was a tacky, two-paced pitch. It was the first day game of the season at the Oakland Coliseum. The conditions were unknown. And MI new York were on the wrong side of it, with the damp pitch making batting really difficult, before it eased out as the sun came through. We fought hard with the ball, giving nothing away, and that is where we’ll take confidence from. It was a serious effort, and that gives us a lot of confidence as we take on the LA Knight Riders, a team we have a wonderful record against. But they are coming off a couple of wins, which just spices up the occasion. Brace up, with another afternoon game and the knowledge of the conditions, we’ll be back with a bang! What: MI New York vs LA Knight Riders When: June 27, 2026 | 2:30pm local time (June 28, 3:00am IST)Where: Oakland Coliseum, CaliforniaWhat to expect: Hopefully the right call at the toss and an opportunity to bowl first. This has been a proper chasing tournament so far. A bunch of West Indians go head to head here, with Pollard, Pooran, Shepherd vs Fletcher, Powell, Narine, Russell and Holder. There’s never a shortage of fireworks when this happens!