MI New York captain stepped on the big stage of the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament, blasting a stunning century in the final against Seattle Orcas to take MI NY to the maiden MLC title.
Regular skipper Kieron Pollard had gotten injured last week and missed the entire playoffs.
His compatriot Nicholas Pooran was given the captaincy duties and under the left-hander MI New York sailed through in the playoffs – defeating Washington Freedom in Eliminator, Texas Super Kings in Challenger, and Seattle Orcas in the final – with terrific individual and collective performances to win three consecutive matches in the playoffs to their way to the glory on Sunday night at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
In the final, given a stiff target of 184, which Seattle put on the board courtesy of Quinton de Kock’s 87 off 52, Nicholas Pooran made the target look much smaller than it was, smashing 137* runs off only 55 balls (strike rate of 249) as it rained boundaries in the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas: Pooran walloped 10 fours and 16 cleanly struck sixes to complete the chase in only 16 overs.
Slotted in at number 3, Nicholas Pooran had to come out to bat in the first over of the chase when Imad Wasim dismissed Steven Taylor. Without wasting any time, Pooran slogged Imad off his second ball for a six. There was no looking back for Nicholas Pooran as he clobbered 12 more sixes as MI New York sauntered to the MLC title.
Watch: All 13 sixes from Nicholas Pooran’s blitzkreig in MLC 2023 final
𝓞𝓷 𝓻𝓮𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓽 🔄
Can’t stop watching @nicholaspooran’s 1️⃣3️⃣ sixes he hit today‼️ #MLC2023 #MLCFINAL pic.twitter.com/OynKTi2xnD
— Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 31, 2023
This was the 9th T20 franchise trophy for the Mumbai Indians franchise.
9 T20 Trophies for Mumbai Indians franchise:
MI won CLT20 in 2011
MI won IPL in 2013
MI won CLT20 in 2013
MI won IPL in 2015
MI won IPL in 2017
MI won IPL in 2019
MI won IPL in 2020
MI won WPL in 2023
MINY won MLC in 2023
