Los Angeles Knight Riders are into the MLC final for the first time after a nail-biting seven-run win over San Francisco Unicorns. Rovman Powell’s 15-ball 50* and Andre Russell’s 62* powered them to 187/3, just enough to hold off Matthew Short’s heroic 94*.
Powell’s late blitz seals Knight Riders’ final spot
Three balls. One over. Game gone. That’s how it felt when Powell went berserk in the death overs, smashing four sixes in a 28-run over off Haris Rauf. His unbeaten 50 came off just 15 deliveries, turning a good total into a match-winning one. Earlier, Munro (51) and Russell (62*) had laid the foundation with a 96-run stand, but Powell’s fireworks were the difference.
The Unicorns’ chase started in disaster—Sunil Narine’s double strike in the first over left them reeling at 0/2. But Short and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (65) fought back with a 151-run partnership, keeping the game on a knife’s edge. Short’s 94* off 62 was a masterclass, but van Schalkwyk’s final-over composure sealed the deal for LAKR.
Key moments that swung the Qualifier
Narine’s opening salvo set the tone, but Short’s counterattack—four boundaries in the third over—shifted momentum. Krishnamurthi’s six off Russell in the 16th over kept hope alive, but van Schalkwyk’s 18th-over wicket broke the stand. Russell’s penultimate over (just six runs) left the Unicorns needing 18 off the last, and they fell short by seven.
Match stats and what’s next
- Los Angeles Knight Riders 187/3 in 20 overs: Andre Russell 62* (50), Colin Munro 51 (44), Rovman Powell 50* (15); Ghulam Mudassar 2-42
- San Francisco Unicorns 180/4 in 20 overs: Matthew Short 94* (62), Sanjay Krishnamurthi 65 (47); Sunil Narine 2-28, Shadley van Schalkwyk 2-43
The Unicorns now face the Eliminator winners in the Challenger. For the Knight Riders? A date with destiny in the MLC final.
