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MLC 2025: Magical Mitchell turns lost cause into a win for Texas Super Kings

Published

8 months ago

2025/06/14

Priyan

Daryl Mitchell was involved in two game-changing run-outs, including Kieron Pollard's [Cricinfo]

If Finn Allen’s record-breaking 51-ball 151 made the opening game of MLC 2025 memorable, the second of the season matched it for excitement, with two teams – whose better-known siblings have waged many battles at the IPL – playing out a thriller that had as many twists and turns as a 40-over contest can possibly have.

Chasing 186 for victory against Texas Super Kings, MI New York looked out of the contest, then roared right back, then lost their way, found it again, but then stopped three runs short as Daryl Mitchell, who had triggered the previous turning point in the game, bowled a last over of yorkers and slower deliveries to concede just five to the ninth-wicket pair of Tajinder Singh and Naveen-ul-Haq.

It was a special comeback from TSK, as they turned the result their way despite MINY needing 27 from 20 balls with six wickets in hand.

The chase had started direly for MINY with the with the scoreboard reading 32 for 3 after the powerplay. It wasn’t a huge chase, but you wouldn’t want to lose Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran, as well as Agni Chopra, that soon. But that is what happened thanks to Adam Milne and Noor Ahmad. The innings needed rebuilding, so Monak Patel, the No. 3, and Michael Bracewell, possibly MINY’s best bowler earlier, took it upon themselves to do that.

They needed to steady the ship first, which they did, only one four – hit by Bracewell – came between Pooran’s dismissal and the end of the seventh over. But then a little impetus was needed, which came as they scored 11, 16, 15, 14 and 17 in the next five overs. And suddenly it was even stevens – 76 needed from 48.

Monank had gotten to his half-century, off 33 balls, by then, and Bracewell looked good to join him at the mark, but Milne’s reintroduction provided the next twist in the tale, though it really was Faf du Plessis’ wicket more than anyone else’s. Milne bowled short outside off, Bracewell gave it a thwack, du Plessis leapt and plucked the ball out of the air one-handed at wide mid-off.

If that had a whiff of a turning point, the real one came a few overs later. Kieron Pollard, 38 and replaced as team captain by Pooran, went 4, 6, 4 and 4 against the gentle medium pace of Mitchell to make it 27 needed from 20. Till Mitchell’s sprint to midwicket, pick-up-turn-and-throw-the-stumps-down play sent both Pollard and Monank back off successive deliveries.

That was the proper turning point. Only three fours came in the last three overs, two more wickets fell, and Mitchell’s last over, where just one big hit could have finished off the game, had just three runs off the bat, plus a bye and a leg-bye.

Earlier, till the halfway stage of the Super Kings innings, it didn’t look like they would get anywhere near a strong total. Sure, Devon Conway was around, on 36, but he had taken 26 balls to get there. And three wickets had fallen at the other end.

That became five by the end of the 12th over, and Conway was still only on 38 from 28.

Which is when things started to change. Calvin Savage, the one-time South Africa Under-19 man and now a USA player, joined Conway and showed his skills with the bat. The 13th over began with a four from Savage off Bracewell, who had picked up two of the five wickets to fall at that stage, and Conway struck the fourth six of his innings two balls later. It wasn’t frenetic, but by the end of the 16th, Super Kings had 140 on the board.

Sixes seemed easier to come by than fours as Conway and Savage helped themselves to quite a few, and the partnership reached 79 before Conway, who got his half-century off 35 balls, was run-out for a 44-ball 66. Savage got to his fifty before time ran out, too, ending unbeaten on a 34-ball 53. Between them, the two hit nine sixes. Super Kings scored 110 runs in boundaries. MINY scored 114. Both innings had a dot-ball percentage of 33. Almost nothing to separate them but holding your nerve and winning the key moments.

Brief scores:
Texas Super Kings 185 for 6 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 65, Faf du Plessis 18, Milind Kumar 19, Calvin Savage 53*; Ehsan Adil 1-36, Naveen ul-Haq 1-39, Michael Bracewell 2-34, Sunny Patel 1-23) beat MI New York 182 for 8 in 20 overs (Monank Patel 62, Michael Bracewell 38, Kieron Pollard 32, Tajinder Singh 12*; Adam Milne 3-22, Noor Ahmad 1-33, Mohammad Mosin 1-27) by three runs

[Cricinfo]

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SAARC journalists meet in New Delhi

Published

10 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

President of SJF Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi hands over a memento to Dr Alok Kumar Mishra Joint Secretary of the Association of Indian Universities

Members of the South Asian Journalists Forum have gathered at the University of New Delhi for a two day conference themed ‘Peace and Co-operation’.

Journalists from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India are attending the conference hosted by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the India Chapter of SJF, and will deliberate on how the media can act as a catalyst for regional stability and mutual coexsistence.

A tree plantation campaign was also held at the Ghandi Bhawan premises of the University to mark the event and symbolize growing regional ties.

The Sri Lanka delegation is led by President of SJF’s Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi.

News

Governor of Gujarat met with Sri Lanka PM to discuss exposition of Devnimori Relics

Published

11 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

The Governor of the of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Thursdy [February 05] at the Parliamentary Complex to discuss the arrangements related to the exposition of the Devnimori Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which have been brought to Sri Lanka under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India.

These sacred relics of Lord Buddha were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, these relics had never been taken outside India. As a result of discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, the people of Sri Lanka have been granted this rare opportunity to venerate these sacred relics.

The exposition of the relics is being held for a period of seven days, from February 05 to February 11, at the Gangaramaya Temple in Hunupitiya, Colombo. Discussions were held between both parties regarding the arrangements related to this event.

The discussion was attended by Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture; Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka; Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation; along with several others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

INS GHARIAL makes port call in Colombo

Published

18 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.

Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.

During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.

The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.