Follow UsMI New York were with just one win from seven games, and now they are the MLC 2025 title winners.
Is it deja vu? Yet another time when an MI franchise rallied from being at the bottom of the table to becoming the champions, as they scripted a five-run win against Washington Freedom, on July 14 (Monday).
However, it couldn’t have been possible without KKR’s opener and wicketkeeper, Quinton de Kock, who starred with the bat, smashing a 46-ball 77, hitting six fours and four sixes. De Kock’s efforts led the struggling New York side to 180 after 20 overs, a score that seemed just about par.
After a poor IPL 2025 season, where he could only score 152 runs, de Kock has turned a corner at the recently concluded MLC 2025, where he’s amassed 373 runs. The left-hander has stitched multiple crucial partnerships for MINY this season, averaging 31.08, being the second-best batter behind Monank Patel (478 runs).
If de Kock showed his class with the bat, it was MI veteran Trent Boult who performed with the ball, as he picked up two early wickets, ending with figures of 2/32, as his final two overs led to a five-run win for MI. It was MI’s second title this year, after capturing their maiden trophy at SA20 earlier.
“Amazing feeling. To win this tournament after a challenging journey. We had that belief, when things weren't going our way. To win this now is an unreal feeling. The journey is always stressful, that's the beautiful thing about sports. With the support of the coach, Polly and the senior guys, it was not a one guy show, a lot of the senior players stepped up and that is important for this group,” Nicholas Pooran, the MINY skipper said in the post-match presentation.
“MI and winning, sounds good! We set high standards and no wonder they are the most successful franchise. We love winning.”
On the other hand, it was a heartbreak for Washington Freedom, who did incredibly well in the group stage before succumbing in the final. They may rue the fact that they didn’t get a lot of match practice before the final, given that Qualifier 1 was a wash-out.