MI London opened their campaign in style with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Leeds at the Kia Oval, chasing down a target of 144 with 16 balls to spare after a match-winning partnership between Sam Curran and Nicholas Pooran.

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Curran anchored the innings with an unbeaten 60 from 39 deliveries, while Pooran produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting, smashing 58 not out from just 22 balls. The Trinidadian reached his half-century in only 19 deliveries, setting a new record for the fastest fifty by an MI London player at the Oval.

Sunrisers Make Bright Start with the Ball

Defending a modest total of 143, Sunrisers Leeds made the ideal start as Brydon Carse unleashed a fiery opening spell, regularly exceeding 90 mph.

The fast bowler dismissed Will Jacks before removing birthday celebrant Jason Roy, leaving MI London reeling at 4 for 2. Nathan Ellis then added to the pressure by producing a superb inswinger that uprooted James Vince’s middle stump, reducing the hosts to 51 for 3 after 7.2 overs.

At that stage, Sunrisers appeared to have the upper hand.

Pooran Turns the Match Around

Pooran’s arrival at the crease completely changed the momentum of the contest. The left-hander wasted no time settling in, attacking Benny Howell with two boundaries and a six in the space of three deliveries. His aggressive approach shifted the pressure back onto the bowlers and allowed MI London to seize control of the chase.

Curran provided the perfect support, striking five fours and three sixes in a composed innings as the pair shared an unbeaten partnership that carried MI London comfortably to victory.

For Pooran, the knock also came against the franchise he represented in 2024 when it competed as the Northern Superchargers.

Gleeson Leads MI London’s Bowling Effort

Earlier, MI London’s bowlers had restricted Sunrisers Leeds to 143 after winning the toss and choosing to field.

Openers Ryan Rickelton and Mitch Marsh made a brisk start, with Rickelton launching three sixes in quick succession before Sam Curran trapped him lbw.

Harry Brook briefly entertained with a towering straight six off Rashid Khan but fell attempting another big hit on the very next delivery, giving the Afghanistan leg-spinner an important breakthrough.

Marsh continued the attack with a fluent 41 from 27 balls, including three sixes, before miscuing Tom Curran to Sam Curran at cover. Once Marsh departed, the innings lost momentum.

Richard Gleeson ripped through the middle order, removing Dan Lawrence, Zak Crawley and Benny Howell in quick succession. Tom Alsop’s late cameo of 31 from 18 balls helped Sunrisers post a competitive total before Gleeson wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Nathan Ellis to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 25.

Pooran Reflects on Match-Winning Partnership

Named the Meerkat Match Hero, Pooran praised his stand with Sam Curran after the victory.

“Sam was set and we just tried to stay as positive as we could. It was all about hitting a couple to the boundary and trying to take that partnership all the way through to the end.”

The left-hander also spoke about celebrating his innings in front of his family.

“It was nice to have them here, to score a fifty and send a kiss to them. I know they will be really happy. This year has been a really challenging year for me personally when it comes to batting so I’m just really happy to have the opportunity to continue to do what I love to do.”

Thanks to the unbeaten partnership between Curran and Pooran, MI London kicked off their season with an impressive victory, while Sunrisers Leeds were left to reflect on a promising start that ultimately slipped away.