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And here comes the crowning moment! Nicholas Pooran lifts the MLC 2025 trophy, and the MI New York squad explodes in celebration. Roars, hugs, it’s a picture of redemption & joy. The champs pose with gleaming smiles, and the cameras don’t stop flashing. MI New York, two-time champions, and what a story it's been!
With that it's a wrap from Sportskeeda’s live coverage of the MLC 2025 Final. What a night. What a tournament. This is Meeth Agrawal alongside Sooryanarayanan Sesha signing off. Thanks for being with us through all the drama and fireworks.
And now, we hear from Nicholas Pooran (MI New York captain): Amazing feeling. To get to where we got in the tournament after a challenging journey, really happy. Not because we won the tournament but because the guys stuck together. We were optimistic when things weren't going our way and now we're the champions. The journey is always stressful. That's te beautiful thing about sport. But the man above puts us in situations we can handle. The coach, Polly, the senior guys, we stuck together. It wasn't just a one-guy show. Everyone came together and put their heads together. The senior players stepped up. That was really important for us as a group and that's why we're lifting the trophy now. Rushil has grown from strength to strength. The first game we played against this team, he was hit for a couple of sixes in the first over. But throughout the tournament he started to get better and better. He's learning very fast. He's learning to bowl slower balls into the wicket and bowl under pressure. Him and Tristan, they really helped us. Tristan getting that opportunity in Miami and grabbing it with both hands, bowling in the playoffs to senior players - credit to both Rushil and Tristan. But today was all about Rushil. Before the last over started he asked me what I'm thinking. I told him 'you tell me what you're thinking, this is your moment'. He came up trumps for us. And everyone watching USA cricket is really happy for him. Sometimes the captain doesn't know everything. You go by instincts. Throughout the tournament we had to trust guys and the local players. This is our sixth game we took to the last over and we're really happy that when it mattered the most we crossed the finish line. MI winning sounds good. As I said at the start of the tourmament there's a lot of pressure on this franchise. We have to win every game and every tournament. They set high standards and no wonder they're the most successful franchise in T20 cricket. And they love winning.
And now, it's time for the MI New York squad members to come up and receive their championship medals. Down and seemingly out, they turned back to the rich Mumbai Indians DNA of pulling off a jailbreak into the knockouts. And this time, they went the whole way. For the record, this is the 13th title against the name of an MI franchise across all leagues, men and women. A staggering legacy to say the least!
Mitchell Owen of Washington Freedom is the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. He receives the award from the legendary Chris Gayle! Here's what he had to say, "Would have been nice to get some hits tonight, but unfortunately didn't go our way. Quite disappointed. I mean I am very grateful for the opportunity Washington Freedom gave me at the top and even with the ball. I am glad I could play my role in a few games. It's tough one coming off a game like that and getting so close to winning the competition and falling short in the last over."
Monank Patel returns to collect the award for being the leading run-getter of the season! For the first time in MLC history, a domestic player finishes as the season’s highest run-getter. 478 runs in 13 games with 4 50s for the youngster.
Xavier Bartlett receives the award for ending as the leading wicket-taker of the season! His San Francisco Unicorns skipper Corey Anderson receives the award on his behalf.
Monank Patel receives the Bart King Award for the domestic player of the tournament! Here's what he has to say: I was following the advice of my batting coach and my team coach. I wanted to be disciplined from the first game and luckily it helped me throuhgout the tournament. It was important for us to get a proper start. One batter who opened had to take the responsibility of playing 40-50 balls which I did for most of the tournament. I knew my game - if I take 15-20 balls at the start, I don't worry about my strike-rate. I then express myself and play my shots. It's a very chill vibe (with Quinton de Kock) - we don't talk much and just enjoy each other's company
Rushil Ugarkar receives the MLC U23 Player of the Tournament award!
The match officials now come up to receive their mementos, led by the legendary former umpire Simon Taufel, who served as the match referee for this game.
Rushil Ugarkar (Player of the Match): It's still settling slowly. I was just telling him (Pooran) what I am doing. Just tried to be calm. The wicket was quite slow, soI just tried those off-cutters. When I initially started the tournaments, it was a matter of me coming back. Never played a final at this level. As I said, still settling slowly. Maybe when we lift the trophy.
Time for the post tournament presentation!
Pooran is having a quiet moment with his family out there on the field, soaking it all in. After the season they’ve had, the turnaround they’ve pulled off, he deserves every bit of this. What a ride it’s been for the MI New York skipper.
The immediate reactions from the Freedom camp tells a story. Tears on the faces of their family members while Glenn Phillips had a forlorn look on his face with Ricky Ponting then giving him a pat on his head. Phillips struggled for a good part of his innings even as he tried hard and alas, the acceleration came a bit too late. Make no mistake though, he is a champion player and a match-winner in every true sense.
Opposite reactions in the MINY camp of course - Kieron Pollard shares a light moment with former West Indian teammate and fellow T20 superstar Chris Gayle, who is in attendance for this final.
Here's a visibly dejected Glenn Maxwell (Washington Freedom captain): Doesn't feel like it has quite sunk in yet. We had a great tournament. Felt like we were frontrunners throughout the tournament. Bitter pill to swallow but credit to MI New York. I thought we did a really good job to pull it back with the ball halfway through the innings. Thought we gave a couple too many at the back given the momentum we had and that almost proved to be the difference. For them to execute their skills under pressure, credit to them. (On Ugarkar) The conditions certainly suited him. He used the big side with the wind to his advantage and stuck true to his plans. He bowled well.
Tristan Luus: Basically had some prep done back at home. But I was ready since the start of the tournament. I was ready and grateful for the opportunity. The culture, the team and the players, it just makes you comfortable. Mitchell McClenaghan (MINY bowling coach): Super proud. We got knocked back with Naveen getting injured early. The way they stood up in the big moments and got the job done, I couldn't be more proud of the two youngsters. Boulty again did his job tonight.
Kieron Pollard: It means a lot. We fought really, really hard. 1 in 7, everyone wrote us off but we've shown time and time again that there's something ingrained in this MI franchise. Until we're mathematically out of the tournament, you should never write us off. You should not rule us out. The belief the guys showed, each and everyone from the management to the captain, it's unbelievable to be standing here and collecting that second MLC trophy. I can't tell the future but what I can tell you is that I really, really enjoyed my time here. I hadn't played cricket since January. Had to leave the ILT20 early due to the passing of my mum. I was motivated. Needed to come out and show what I am made of. This one feels good. It's sort of emotional. I've won a lot of titles but deep down inside, this is a bit emotional for us. Dwayne Bravo, look at me now (winks). Trent Boult: Not too many (titles). All in all a great final. The league deserved that. Tough place to bowl. It's a good wicket. Credit to Washington, I thought they had a good tournament. As tough as it can be, I'm a sprightly 36 year old. Credit to the young bowling attack. Tristan, young Rush to hold us under pressure like that. I've been training with him for a couple of years now - he's been bowling in the nets at the Mumbai Indians. The MI franchise, that's what they do - they invest in young players and find talent early. If you're part of the Mumbai Indians nets in the IPL, you're only going to get better under pressure every day. Good on him.
Let's get some immediate reactions in!
Mark Boucher (MINY head coach): I'm aging quickly here (laughs). We've had some tight games but super stoked for the guys. The way we started the tournament, probably nobody would've put us in the final. But what a game of cricket - great for the USA as well. If I'm rivalled up against Ricky then I think I'm going in the right direction. He's a fantastic coach. Just to compare and a competition like that is great. A lot of these tournaments, it's not about having the best team on paper. It's about what you do off the field and the camaraderie. Great for the guys to get a fantastic result like that. We've been playing knockout cricket for the last two weeks now so we're a battle-hardened team.
10:37 PM Local Time, 9:07 AM IST:MI New York are the Major Cricket League 2025 CHAMPIONS!!!
Rushil Ugarkar. 22 years old. Final over. Defending 12 runs. Against Glenn Phillips and Glenn Maxwell. And he did it. He actually did it.
MINY win the MLC 2025 Final by 5 runs, and the Grand Prairie in Dallas erupts in a sea of blue and gold. Tears in the Washington Freedom camp. Jubilation in the MINY huddle.
Washington, who had dominated much of the tournament and looked set to defend their title, were left stunned. This was a final they had in their grasp, and they let it slip. Meanwhile, what a story this has been for Nicholas Pooran’s men. They have their hands on the trophy from a point where they were on the brink of elimination. Qualified for the playoffs with just three wins, but here they are standing happily as the C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N.S.
The chase began with fireworks, and they were all from Trent Boult. The experienced left-armer delivered a dream opening over, picking up two wickets in his first over, putting Washington Freedom on the mat at 0/2. The energy in the MI camp was electric, and it felt like they were going to roll over the defending champs inside the powerplay. But Rachin Ravindra and Jack Edwards had other plans. The pair dug in, absorbed the pressure, and slowly turned the tide. They played smart cricket, capitalized on poor fielding, punished the loose balls, and stitched together a crucial 84-run stand that dragged Freedom right back into the contest. Just when it looked like they would take the game away, Kieron Pollard pulled off a screamer at the deep, ending Edwards’ innings.
Ravindra, though, stayed calm and composed. He rotated strike well and kept the boundaries coming when needed. He brought up a fantastic half-century, his first of the season, and stitched another partnership with Glenn Phillips. But while Ravindra looked fluent, Phillips was visibly struggling, unable to find the gaps or get the big hits away. As the required rate started creeping past 10, the pressure told. Ravindra perished while trying to force the pace, and it looked like the game might slip again.
But then came a twist. Phillips finally broke free, launching a couple of big shots to bring the equation back in Freedom’s favor. With 12 needed off the final over and Maxwell at the other end, Washington were within touching distance. But MINY turned to their young gun, Rushil Ugarkar, and he held his nerve. A mix of slower balls, hard lengths, and wide lines, he gave nothing away. Maxwell couldn’t connect. Phillips couldn't find the fence. And just like that, Freedom were 5 runs short.
Earlier in the evening, MI New York posted 180/8, which looked sub-par given the start they had. The openers, Quinton de Kock and Monank Patel, gave them a steady base, and after six overs, they were cruising at 58/0. The pair put on 72 for the first wicket before Tajinder Singh was promoted and added a handy cameo. De Kock was in vintage touch, bringing up his fourth fifty of the season, while Pooran chipped in with clean hitting of his own. At 148/2 after 16 overs, MINY looked set for a 200+ total.
But Washington Freedom pulled it back brilliantly. Saurabh Netravalkar removed Pooran, and in the next over, Lockie Ferguson bowled a match-changing spell, dismissing both De Kock and Pollard in the space of three balls. That triggered a collapse, and from 148/2, MINY fell to 166/7, managing just 35 runs in the last 5 overs. Ferguson’s use of the slower ball, tight lines, and well-disguised variations took the sting out of the innings.
In the end, it wasn’t enough. Washington Freedom had the game in their hands multiple times. They were cruising at one stage, then again with 48 needed off 4 overs. But big games are won in key moments, and MINY nailed every one of those in the death overs.
From being almost eliminated midway through the season, losing six of their first seven games, to storming into the final and pulling off back-to-back upsets, MI New York’s MLC 2025 campaign is the stuff of sporting fairytales.
20
overs
175/5score
1
1
0
W
0
4
runs
Obus Pienaar*
4(2)
Glenn Phillips
48(34)
Rushil Ugarkar
2/32
19.6 Rushil Ugarkar to Obus Pienaar, FOUR! It won't matter - from winning 3 of their 10 round-robin games and just about sneaking into the playoffs, MI New York have snatched the trophy from Washington Freedom to win it a second time! Jubilation among the Men in Blue as the players on the bench storm onto the park, as do the support staff. They looked down and out for all money when they had a lone win from their first seven outings but somehow, they stand at the top and will hold the trophy aloft. It's Rushil Ugarkar who has pulled off a stunning defense in the final over and MI New York will bask in glory.
Coming to the delivery, it was in the slot outside the off stump and Pienaar swung over mid-off. On the bounce and past long off for four but the fielder wasn't bothered - he was keen to join the celebrations. The party will begin soon! MI New York are crowned champions of MLC 2025!
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Obus Pienaar
*
Rushil Ugarkar
Video
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