Nicholas Pooran and Sam Curran combined to power MI London's winning start in The Men's Hundred, 2026, as they sealed a seven-wicket win with 16 deliveries to spare against Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval in the opening game.
Curran finished unbeaten on 60 off 39 balls while Pooran smashed 58 not out from just 22, bringing up a fifty in only 19 balls, the fastest for the Oval-based team.
Earlier, Sunrisers looked well placed after opting to bat when Ryan Rickelton and Mitchell Marsh tore into the new ball.
But the innings unravelled dramatically once Tom Curran deceived Marsh with a slower ball, inducing a simple catch to brother Sam.
His cameo helped Sunrisers edge past the 140-mark, but MI London kept them below 150 thanks to quick wickets in the end.
Nicholas Pooran and Sam Curran combined to power MI London's winning start in The Men's Hundred, 2026, as they sealed a seven-wicket win with 16 deliveries to spare against Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval in the opening game. Chasing 144, MI slipped to 51 for 3 before the left-handed duo stitched together an unbroken 93-run stand in just 40 balls to seal victory with 16 deliveries to spare. Curran finished unbeaten on 60 off 39 balls while Pooran smashed 58 not out from just 22, bringing up a fifty in only 19 balls, the fastest for the Oval-based team.
Brydon Carse gave Sunrisers the ideal start with the ball, consistently touching 90mph as he dismissed both Will Jacks and Jason Roy inside the first 10 balls. Nathan Ellis then produced a superb incoming delivery to castle James Vince, leaving MI London reeling at 51 for 3 and firmly handing the initiative to the visitors. Curran, though, held one end together, as the captain tried to keep the chase alive.
The complexion of the game changed the moment Pooran walked in. With 93 needed from the last 56 balls, Pooran set the tone by taking Benny Howell apart for 15 runs before punishing Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts and Abrar Ahmed with a flurry of boundaries and towering sixes. Curran, meanwhile, mixed calculated aggression with smart strike rotation, reaching his half-century off 34 deliveries before launching Abrar over midwicket and Potts over long-on. Pooran fittingly sealed the chase by smashing a Potts delivery through the off side for four.
Earlier, Sunrisers looked well placed after opting to bat when Ryan Rickelton and Mitchell Marsh tore into the new ball. Rickelton struck three sixes in a lively 25 off 16, while Marsh settled quickly after a cautious start, helping the visitors to 40 without loss after the first 25 balls. Curran broke the opening stand by trapping Rickelton lbw, but Marsh kept the momentum going alongside Harry Brook, who briefly lit up the innings with a straight six off Rashid Khan before holing out to the same bowler for 8.
Marsh continued to dominate, launching Rashid for another towering six as Sunrisers reached 84 for 2 after 55 balls with a platform for a sizeable total. But the innings unravelled dramatically once Tom Curran deceived Marsh with a slower ball, inducing a simple catch to brother Sam. Richard Gleeson then ripped through the middle order, removing Dan Lawrence, Zak Crawley and Benny Howell in quick succession as Sunrisers crashed from 84 for 2 to 95 for 6.
Tom Alsop launched a spirited counterattack, striking three sixes in a brisk 31 off 18 balls as he added some valuable late runs with the lower order. His cameo helped Sunrisers edge past the 140-mark, but MI London kept them below 150 thanks to quick wickets in the end. Boult ended Alsop's resistance with a pinpoint yorker before Gleeson picked up his fourth wicket by removing Nathan Ellis off the penultimate ball of the innings, as Sunrisers lost their last three wickets for 11 runs to be bowled out for 143.
