Hassan Khan’s brilliant spell in vain as MI New York edge past Unicorns in MLC Eliminator

MI New York secured a thrilling two-wicket win over the San Francisco Unicorns in the Eliminator of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, booking their spot in Qualifier 2 at Grand Prairie Stadium.

Chasing a modest target of 132, MI New York held their nerve to cross the finish line in 19.3 overs, despite losing eight wickets. Left-arm pacer Trent Boult played a crucial role with a match-winning unbeaten 22 off just 13 balls.

Openers Monank Patel and Quinton de Kock laid a solid foundation with identical scores of 33, while Michael Bracewell contributed 18 in the middle overs.

San Francisco Unicorns’ left-arm spinner Hassan Khan was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 4/30 in four overs. He dismissed key batters including Bracewell, Tajinder Singh, Heath Richards, and Tristan Luus to keep his side in the contest. Matthew Short also chipped in with three wickets, while Xavier Bartlett picked up one.

Earlier, the Unicorns were bowled out for 131 in 19.1 overs after being put in to bat. Xavier Bartlett provided some resistance with a quickfire 44 off 24 balls, while Cooper Connolly and Brody Couch added 23 and 19 runs respectively. However, the rest of the batting order failed to deliver, with Hammad Azam scoring just 11 off 18 balls and Hassan Khan getting run out for a golden duck.

For MI New York, Rushil Ugarkar led the bowling attack with figures of 3/19 in 3.1 overs. Trent Boult and Nosthush Kenjige supported well, picking up two wickets each.

With this win, MI New York will now face the Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 2 on July 12 in Dallas. The winner will advance to the MLC 2025 final against Washington Freedom, set to be played on July 14 at the same venue.