MLC 2025 Final: MI New York Beat Washington Freedom to Clinch Second Title. MI New York were crowned champions of the 2025 Major League Cricket after edging past Washington Freedom by five runs in a nail-biting final at Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas. This was their second MLC title, following their win in the inaugural edition in 2023.
Batting first, MI New York rode on the back of a blistering 77 off 46 balls from Quinton de Kock to score a defendable 180/7. MI lost captain Kieron Pollard for a duck, but de Kock held the innings together with some crucial middle-order partnerships. Washington’s bowlers fought back in the final few overs, with Saurabh Netravalkar and Akeal Hosein pulling it back for them.
Washington Freedom gave it a good shot with the bat in response. Rachin Ravindra scored a valiant 70, helping the innings through the pressure cooker. Trent Boult, for MI, struck twice for MI in his first spell, dismissing two key batters. But with the game tightening and only needing 12 runs in the final over with Glenn Maxwell at the crease, the game was in the balance.
22-year-old Rushil Ugarkar, who weighed in and kept his nerve to only concede six runs in the final over, led MI to a five-run victory. Ugarkar was named Player of the Match for his cool final over. Mitchell Owen was named Player of the Series.
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With the win, Kieron Pollard claimed his 17th T20 title. He tied Dwayne Bravo’s record and demonstrated his imprint on franchise cricket.
