MI London opened their Hundred campaign with a convincing seven-wicket win over Sunrisers at the Kia Oval, chasing down a target of 144 with 16 balls to spare. Nicholas Pooran, named the Meerkat Match Hero for his 58 not out from just 22 deliveries, and captain Sam Curran, who contributed an unbeaten 60 from 39 balls, shared an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership that dismantled the Sunrisers' bowling effort from the moment the floodlights came on.
Sunrisers Make Early Inroads
Sunrisers gave themselves every reason for optimism in the opening ten balls of MI London's chase.
Brydon Carse was the chief instrument of early pressure, producing a hostile opening spell that reduced the visitors to 8 for 2 inside the first ten deliveries. Will Jacks departed for 2, caught by Benny Howell at cover after Carse angled the ball into the stumps and found movement away; Jason Roy followed immediately for a duck on his 36th birthday, edging a seaming delivery to Mitchell Marsh at slip. MI London were in early difficulty, with 136 still required from 90 balls and their top order gone.James Vince joined Sam Curran in the middle, and the pair set about steadying a chase that had tilted sharply in Sunrisers' favour.
Progress was measured rather than explosive through the next thirty balls. Carse was relentless in the early phase, finishing his first ten-ball stint with figures of 2 for 8. Matthew Potts maintained the pressure from the other end, conceding just one run from his first five balls. Vince and Curran rotated strike and survived, gradually reducing the deficit without finding the boundary with any regularity.Vince Falls, Pooran Arrives
The chase reached 49 for 2 after 44 deliveries when Nathan Ellis removed Vince for 17, clean-bowling him with a delivery that nipped in sharply and took out the off stump.
MI London were 51 for 3, needing 93 more, and the match remained very much open. Nicholas Pooran walked out to join his captain.What followed changed the character of the game entirely. Pooran scored 3 from his first three balls but then accelerated dramatically once Benny Howell came into the attack. He hit Howell for 4, 6, and 4 in successive deliveries — sweeping, driving, and manipulating the pace bowling with fluency. Dan Lawrence's off-spin offered no respite either; Pooran struck him for a six that kissed the top edge of the boundary cushion and followed it with another maximum before the end of Lawrence's spell.
When Abrar Ahmed returned, Pooran greeted him with back-to-back sixes in the same over — a sweep over square leg and a flat-batted strike over long on — before reaching his fifty from just 19 balls. It was noted from the Oval press box that the fifty was the fastest ever recorded by this franchise, spanning both the current MI London identity and the previous Oval Invincibles era.
Curran's Contribution Holds the Chase Together
While Pooran provided the most vivid hitting, Sam Curran's innings was the structural anchor of the chase.
He reached his own fifty from 34 deliveries, having already struck Abrar Ahmed over straight midwicket for six and collected boundaries at regular intervals throughout. When Potts returned for his final five-ball stint, Curran launched a full toss over wide long on for six, and the equation was down to eleven from twenty balls.The fifty partnership between Curran and Pooran came up from just 23 deliveries — a stand built on Pooran's striking power and Curran's ability to keep the scoreboard moving between the big hits.
Pooran Finishes the Job
Pooran sealed the win in Potts' final over, launching a delivery beyond the reach of the mid-off fielder for four to bring up the victory. MI London reached 144 for 3 with 16 balls remaining, winning by seven wickets. Pooran finished unbeaten on 58 from 22 balls; Curran was unbeaten on 60 from 39.
Carse ended as Sunrisers' most effective bowler, taking 2 for 18 from his full allocation of twenty balls. Ellis took 1 for 22 from twenty balls. Howell, Lawrence, and Abrar Ahmed went wicketless.
Speaking after the match, Pooran reflected on the innings: "What pleased me about that innings the most is seeing Vincey and Sam weathering the storm for a bit there. It was unlucky for Vince there but I came in and did what I had to do. Sam was set as well and we were just trying to stay as positive as we can. When the lights came on the ball started to slide on a bit. We knew it was going to be tricky… the wicket was a bit slow initially… but we thought once the lights come on and we have a foundation, we could get it done."
MI London skipper Sam Curran acknowledged Pooran's impact: "I've been on the wrong side of that. I think he's going to have a lot of fun here batting at the Oval."
A crowd of 20,540 was present at the Kia Oval to witness the conclusion of the match. MI London will next be in action when the women's and men's fixtures against Southern Brave and Welsh Fire follow.
