By Tim Douglas 
Pollard Shines in Pressure Moments as MI New York Clinch Last-Over Thriller to Knock Out LA Knight Riders
Kieron Pollard once again proved his reputation as one of T20’s finest finishers and clutch performers, delivering with bat and ball to secure a dramatic 6-run win for MI New York over Los Angeles Knight Riders, eliminating them from MLC 2025 playoff contention.
MI New York stumbled early after electing to bat. The top order struggled to gain momentum on a slow, two-paced pitch. Shadley van Schalkwyk and Corne Dry wreaked havoc in the powerplay, reducing MINY to 36/3.
Nicholas Pooran attempted to steady the innings but perished for 30 after a tidy effort by Sunil Narine and some sharp fielding. MI’s middle order continued to falter, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals.
Enter Pollard. The skipper bided his time before exploding in the 17th over. He smashed two towering sixes off Andre Russell, then returned to take on van Schalkwyk for another pair of maximums. Despite being dismissed for a critical 50 off 36, Pollard had lifted MINY to a fighting total of 142/9.
In reply, LA Knight Riders began cautiously. Andre Fletcher departed early, but Unmukt Chand and Alex Hales added a steady partnership. However, Hales’ sluggish 21 off 26 piled pressure on the chase, forcing Chand and Sherfane Rutherford into riskier play in the middle overs.
With just 29 needed off 18 balls and 8 wickets in hand, LA looked favorites. But Pollard turned the tide again with the ball. He bowled a brilliant 19th over, conceding just five runs and removing Rutherford, applying the squeeze at the crucial moment.
Needing 16 off the final over, LA’s surprise decision to retire Chand for Jason Holder raised eyebrows. However, Ehsan Adil kept his cool under pressure, delivering pinpoint accuracy to defend the target.
The 6-run victory propels MI New York into the thick of the playoff race, now level on points with the Seattle Orcas but ahead on net run rate. With one group game remaining against the high-flying Washington Freedom, MI’s fate could go down to the wire.
Match Summary:
MI New York 142/9 (Kieron Pollard 50, Nicholas Pooran 30; Shadley van Schalkwyk 3/24, Corne Dry 2/25)
LA Knight Riders 136/4 (Unmukt Chand 59, Sherfane Rutherford 29; Kieron Pollard 1/12, Nosthush Kenjige 1/14)
Anas Ahmed 
Zainab Shafiq 
Manvindar Singh