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And so, the Major League Cricket is up and running in some style! We're in for a cracking couple of weeks or so ahead of us and it promises to be riveting, just like today. Do stay tuned to Sportskeeda for our coverage of the same as well as plenty more cricketing action from around the world on this very platform. For the moment though, this is the duo of Mohul Bhowmick and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for joining us as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you around soon - have a happy weekend. Take care and buh-bye for now!
Not the best of birthdays with the bat but Faf du Plessis won't complain much given how his team stepped up today. A dominant victory for the Texas Super Kings and they will look to carry this momentum forward and make winning a habit. As for the LA Knight Riders, it was a game to forget. Not much time to dwell on such results though in this tournament and they just have to start afresh in the next game.
Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings captain): If you choose a birthday present it's probably not that - an absolute crunch to cover first ball (grins). But these things happen in T20 cricket. Nice to see some of the local players perform. I always say that your overseas players can win you a game here and there but to win the competition you need the local players to perform. (On Coetzee) He's a really exciting talent. He's one of those prospects who will hopefully play all three formats for South Africa. Good, aggressive South African fast-bowler like old times. Good to see him playing T20 cricket around the world and improving his skillset as well. It's pretty obvious that no matter where you play in the world the Super Kings family will come to watch in big numbers. It was really pleasing for me to stand on the boundary in America and see a full house of yellow. Thank you for coming in big numbers.
Sunil Narine (Los Angeles Knight Riders captain): If you lose more than three wickets in the powerplay in T20 cricket you are on the back foot. You never know what can happen if you get a partnership though. Move on to the next. I think we gave away 15-20 runs extra. (On Russell) He's been doing it for so many years. Once he's at the crease he can hit sixes easily. Hopefully he can continue for the rest of the season.
David Miller, Player of the Match: It was good to get a good start. I've been working for the last couple of days since I came here. I think the mental side of the game is very important so one has to rest and recover. I think I have a more streamlined look, so it's allowing me to add some pace on the field. The facilities have been fantastic here by the MLC. It feels really good to be here.
Rusty Theron: I am a bit emotional today. I want to thank everyone involved at the Super Kings as well as Major League Cricket for helping put me on the park. I still have that competitive spirit, and if it's me against you, I don't want to lose (laughs.) Glad to have started off on a winning note. Surely, a lot is to come from Faf and the rest of the boys.
Match Summary: Texas Super Kings beat Los Angeles Knight Riders by 69 runs.
David Miller 61 (42) | Mohammad Mohsin 4/8 (3) Andre Russell 55 (34) | Lockie Ferguson 2/23 (4)
To say that the LA Knight Riders have been decimated would be an understatement. They've just not turned up but it's the complete opposite as far as the Texas Super Kings are concerned, who have simply overpowered the Knights to kickstart the inaugural Major League Cricket season in grand fashion.
181 was a big score on the board and with Rusty Theron hitting his straps first up, life was tough for the Knight Riders. Martin Guptill and Rilee Rossouw were nabbed in the opening over and with Mitchell Santner pulling off a stunner to send Nitish Kumar back, the Knights were in absolute disarray early on. Jaskaran Malhotra launched a counter-attack and got a reprieve when he was dismissed with an extra fielder outside the inner ring. Andre Russell came out batting in typical Dre Russ style, taking the attack to the bowlers for fun.
It was game on with a punch-counter-punch being the norm of the day. Malhotra couldn't carry on long enough though as he fell inside the powerplay before a steady partnership ensued between Russell and skipper Sunil Narine. Russell picked and chose his moments to perfection as he tore into anything in his zone and blasted the ball to the fence at will. He struck a brutal half-century to put the game right in the balance but the game took a turn for good when leggie Mohammad Mohsin came on.
The former Peshawar Zalmi spinner was on top of his radar despite bagging Narine's wicket off an innocuous delivery. He showed immense control and unleashed his googly at will to scythe through the lower order as the Knight Riders folded like a pack of cards. Of course, Dwayne Bravo wasn't to be left out of the action and when he prized Russell out in between Mohsin's carnage of wickets, the game was in the bag for the Super Kings. A comprehensive victory to kickstart their journey in the MLC in front of their home fans - they couldn't have asked for anything better now, could they?
And that's how you seal it! The last five wickets have fallen for a mere nine runs and it has come apart rather alarmingly for the Knight Riders. What a way to announce yourself to the tournament though as far as the Texas Super Kings are concerned!
14
overs
112/10score
W
0
1
0
0
w
runs
Ali Khan*
1(5)
Lockie Ferguson
1(1)
Mohammad Mohsin
4/8
13.6 Mohammad Mohsin to Lockie Ferguson, KNOCKS HIM OVER! TEXAS SUPER KINGS WIN THIS GAME! Full and straight on off and middle. Ferguson goes for a big hoick over the on side but misses the line of the ball completely. He turns around to see his stumps being shattered! Mohsin bags four wickets by conceding just eight runs!
Lockie Ferguson b Mohammad Mohsin 1 (4b, 0x4, 0x6)
13.5 Mohammad Mohsin to Lockie Ferguson, floated outside off, turns away. Ferguson pats it back to the bowler.
13.4 Mohammad Mohsin to Lockie Ferguson, OOH! Tossed up on off, the flipper comes back in. Ferguson swings hard at it but misses.
13.3 Mohammad Mohsin to Ali Khan, floated wide outside off, turns away. Khan gets an inside edge past the keeper. Single taken.
13.2 Mohammad Mohsin to Ali Khan, tossed up at a length outside off, turns away. Khan heaves it to midwicket.
A slip comes in.
Ali Khan, RHB, is the last man out in the middle
Trying to be too clever there was Zampa. Mohsin keeps it simple, attacks the stumps and reaps the reward for it. What a huge takeaway he's turning out to be for the Super Kings, who are one wicket away from sealing the deal.
13.1 Mohammad Mohsin to Adam Zampa, BOWLED HIM! Fullish and straight on off and middle, skids through. Zampa tries to go for the paddle sweep but misses the ball completely. He turns around to see the top of his off stump being devoid of its off stump! Mohsin is running amok here!
Adam Zampa b Mohammad Mohsin 3 (4b, 0x4, 0x6)
It's 2023. He's going to turn 40 in October. But Dwayne Bravo continues to do Dwayne Bravo things. Yet again, he is there to deliver the knockout punch which his team was so dearly after. The Super Kings will want to wrap this up quickly though to make a statement of some kind!
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Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas
Ali Khan
*
Mohammad Mohsin
Video
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