Los Angeles Knight Riders secured second place on the Major League Cricket points table after beating Texas Super Kings by six wickets on the final night of the league stage in Dallas.
The result confirmed LAKR’s place in the Qualifier against San Francisco Unicorns and completed the MLC 2026 playoff bracket.
Texas, already out of contention and heading for a bottom-place finish, posted 171 for 9. However, the total was not enough as the Knight Riders completed the chase with five balls to spare.
Tromp Guides LAKR Home
Matthew Tromp played the decisive innings for Los Angeles, finishing unbeaten on 58 from 28 balls.
Chasing 172, LAKR got off to a strong start through Colin Munro, who struck 62 off 36 balls to put his side in control. Andre Fletcher made 26, though at a slower tempo, before Texas briefly fought back. Hardus Viljoen dismissed Andre Russell and later removed Rovman Powell, while Fletcher was run out to leave LAKR needing a calm finish.
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Tromp ensured there was no late collapse.
He counterattacked immediately, hitting seven fours and two sixes in an unbeaten half-century that sealed victory and gave LAKR winning momentum before the playoffs.
Texas Held To 171
Texas Super Kings looked set for a bigger total after Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw played brisk cameos. However, Sunil Narine slowed the innings with an excellent spell of 4-0-15-1.
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Shubham Ranjane then held the innings together with an unbeaten 51 from 34 balls. He received support from Dian Forrester, who made 24, and Donovan Ferreira, who added 19.
But LAKR kept striking at key moments.
Jason Holder claimed three wickets, while Andre Russell picked up two as Texas were restricted to 171 for 9.
Why Second Place Was Crucial
This was not a dead rubber for Los Angeles. In the MLC playoff system, finishing in the top two brings a major advantage. The top two sides meet in the Qualifier, and the losing team still gets another chance by moving into the Challenger. The teams finishing third and fourth meet in the Eliminator, where defeat means immediate exit.
That made LAKR’s win especially important. The six-wicket victory did more than improve their final league position. It gave them an extra chance in the title race.
MLC Playoff Bracket Confirmed
With all 30 league matches completed, the top of the table finished extremely tight. San Francisco Unicorns, Los Angeles Knight Riders and Washington Freedom all ended the league stage with 12 points from 10 matches.
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They were separated only by net run rate. San Francisco finished first, LAKR took second, and Washington ended third. MI New York secured the fourth and final playoff spot.
The Qualifier will see San Francisco Unicorns face Los Angeles Knight Riders on July 15.
Washington Freedom will meet MI New York in the Eliminator on the same day.
The Challenger will follow on July 16, before the final takes place on July 18.
All playoff matches will be held at the Oakland Coliseum.
LAKR Carry Momentum Into Playoffs
For Los Angeles Knight Riders, the reward for finishing strongly is clear. They now have two possible routes to the final, beginning with a Qualifier against the table-topping San Francisco Unicorns.
Munro’s early power, Tromp’s finishing and another disciplined bowling effort gave LAKR the perfect finish to the league stage.
After leaving it until the final night, the Knight Riders did exactly what they needed to do and now enter the playoffs with momentum and a valuable second chance.
