LA Knight Riders Beat TSK by 6 Wickets — MLC 2026 Match Report (Pomona)

Texas Super Kings (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis (c), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Rilee Rossouw, Wiaan Mulder, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Shubham Ranjane, Dian Forrester, Calvin Savage, Adam Milne, Amshi de Silva, Abhimanyu Lamba

LA Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.

"Not really, we understand it will not be a 200 wicket. It will be tricky to bat. We had some conversations around. We have done the work off the field and are trying to have a longer batting line up. We have one change." — Faf du Plessis

"Yeah, we're going to bowl first. You know, give ourselves a chance to see what the wicket offers. We've seen the game in the last couple of days. It's been very up and down. So, hopefully we can restrict them and chase whatever they give us. It's great to see the people out in their numbers — great for the game. Purple v Yellow is always good, whoever is playing in it. Tough game in the last one, but we've made two changes: UC's back in, Carmi's back in, Ali Khan is still out." — Jason Holder

The game moves to Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, Pomona — a brand-new venue in MLC 2026. Two games in, it has already established a reputation for slow, seaming conditions that have rewarded disciplined bowling and punished loose hitting. TSK come in third on the table with three wins from six; LA Knight Riders are struggling at the bottom with just two wins from five, having lost their last three in a row. For both sides, the equation is simple: lose here and playoff ambitions become considerably more complicated.

Head to Head: TSK vs LA Knight Riders

TSK lead 3–1 all-time — and the pattern here is clear. When TSK fire at full throttle, LAKR have no answer: two wins in 2025 by 57 and 52 runs respectively tell their own story. LAKR's only win came in 2024 by 12 runs, the tightest meeting in the fixture. On a slow Pomona surface, the margins may be tighter — but history still favours TSK.

Key Battles: Who Dominates This Fixture

TSK's top performers vs LA Knight Riders: Among the current squad, Calvin Savage has been quietly excellent in this fixture — 36 runs in 3 appearances at SR 138.5, contributing consistently across multiple seasons. Donovan Ferreira continues his outstanding form against the Knight Riders — 75 runs in 2 innings at SR 178.6, the highest strike rate of any current TSK bat in this matchup. Shubham Ranjane has been equally aggressive — 94 runs in 2 matches at SR 138.2, making him TSK's most prolific scorer against LAKR among the current XI. Mukkamalla adds 40 runs in 2 innings (SR 133.3) as a reliable accumulator.

LAKR's danger men vs TSK: Unmukt Chand leads all run-scorers in this fixture — 124 runs in 4 matches at SR 111.7 — the most consistent batter LAKR have deployed against TSK across all editions. Andre Russell is the X-factor — 68 runs in 4 innings at SR 125.9 — and if he gets going in the death, the equation changes instantly. Jason Holder (26 runs in 1 appearance, SR 152.9) showed he can accelerate when needed.

Bowling picture: For TSK, Adam Milne is the standout — 2 wickets at a remarkable economy of 2.40 in his only appearance in this fixture — the most economical bowler on either side. The current attack is led by Amshi de Silva (8 wickets in 2026) and Milne's new-ball threat; Lamba and the pace of Dian Forrester and Calvin Savage will be important on a surface that has offered bowlers significant help.

For LAKR, Sunil Narine leads wicket-takers in this fixture — 2 wickets in 4 matches at the excellent economy of 6.36 — always a threat on a slow deck. Lockie Ferguson adds 2 wickets at Eco 5.75 — his ability to extract extra bounce on sluggish surfaces makes him dangerous with the new ball. Ali Khan (4 wickets, Eco 9.09) is absent; his replacement makes LAKR's bowling look slightly less threatening at the death.

TSK Innings: Mukkamalla's 80 Rescues TSK After Narine and Holder Strike Early

Powerplay: Narine Turns One Past Faf's Edge, Holder Gets Rossouw for Two (58-2)

The Pomona surface lived up to its reputation immediately. Sunil Narine — brought on early, as he so often is in these conditions — struck in the powerplay to remove the dangerman. He hit the right length around off and got the ball to spin away sharply from Faf's outside edge; the leading edge flew straight to point where Fletcher took a simple catch. Faf du Plessis c Fletcher b Sunil Narine 14(8) — one four, one six — a bright start cut short just when he was finding his range.

Jason Holder then made it two down before the powerplay was out. A length delivery on middle that nipped in caught Rossouw's inside edge past the stumps; Jahmar Hamilton was convinced immediately behind the stumps and urged his skipper to review — UltraEdge showed a clear spike, and Hamilton completed a brilliant diving catch to his right, inches above the ground. Rilee Rossouw c Hamilton b Holder 2(3) — two down inside six overs on a difficult deck.

At the end of the powerplay — TSK 58-2 — Saiteja Mukkamalla 34(21) and Shubham Ranjane 3(4) at the crease. Mukkamalla had counter-attacked brilliantly to keep the scoreboard moving despite the wickets, but TSK would need a big partnership from here.

Mukkamalla and Ranjane Rebuild: A 50-Run Stand and TSK's First MLC Fifty (76-2)

Mukkamalla and Ranjane set about doing exactly that. The pair stitched together a crucial 50-run partnership through the middle overs — patient enough to respect the surface, but never allowing the asking rate to drift. In the process, Mukkamalla reached his first-ever MLC half-century, a milestone that summed up a knock of grit and intelligence on a surface that punished anything loose. At drinks — TSK 76-2 after 10 overs — Mukkamalla 42(33), Ranjane 12(16). Sunil Narine and Shadley van Schalkwyk had been exceptional in keeping things tight; van Schalkwyk in particular was suffocating, giving batters almost nothing to hit.

Mukkamalla Reaches 80 and Mulder-Forrester Finish in a Blaze: TSK 173-5

Ranjane eventually fell trying to accelerate — 28(30), one four one six, caught at deep mid-wicket off Jason Holder — but Mukkamalla kept going. He marshalled the innings brilliantly, bringing up 80 from 55 balls with eight fours and four sixes before being caught by Rovman Powell off Andre Russell. A captain's knock in the absence of the actual captain.

The innings closed in spectacular fashion. Dian Forrester and Wiaan Mulder joined forces in the final two overs and took the attack on without mercy — back-to-back boundaries in the 19th over pushed TSK past 170, and Mulder closed it out with a brutal 29(16)* — two fours, two sixes. Forrester contributed a rapid 8(3)* — two fours — to finish on 266 SR. TSK 173-5 (20 overs). Holder conceded 48 from his four overs and Russell 42, but Narine's 2-22 and van Schalkwyk's miserly 0-17 kept TSK from going even bigger. Still, 173 on this Pomona surface is well above par.

LAKR Chase: Powell's 73 off 27 Rewrites the Game

Powerplay: Milne Bowls Fletcher as LAKR Fall Behind the Rate (38-1)

Chasing 174 on a slow Pomona deck, LAKR needed a fast start — and they didn't get one. Adam Milne was excellent with the new ball, producing a pitched-up delivery that swung in sharply on middle and leg. Fletcher tried to drive through the line with minimal foot movement, was beaten by the inward movement, and the ball went under the toe-end of his bat to knock the leg stump over — perhaps keeping a shade low too. Fletcher b Adam Milne 6(5) — ideal for TSK.

Unmukt Chand 15(15) and Colin Munro 16(16) steadied things through the rest of the powerplay, but LAKR were already behind the rate. 38-1 after 6 overs — needing 136 from 84 balls with nine wickets in hand. Chand's typically measured start and Munro's scratch suggested the surface was doing enough to keep the bowlers in the game.

Middle Overs: Chand Holes Out as LAKR Crawl to 51-2 at Drinks

The pressure kept building through the middle overs and it eventually claimed Unmukt Chand. Donovan Ferreira — so often the impact player for TSK — produced a length delivery just outside off that turned in with a touch of extra bounce. Chand stayed leg-side of it trying to go over extra cover, miscued it off the top half of his bat, and it looped tamely to Dian Forrester at long-off — safe as houses. Unmukt Chand c Forrester b Ferreira 18(21), three fours — the pressure had done its job.

At drinks — LAKR 51-2 after 10 overs — Colin Munro 23(27) and Matthew Tromp 3(7) at the crease. LAKR need 123 from 60 balls. The required rate has climbed past 12 and TSK are firmly in control.

Tromp Falls but the Drop Changes Everything: Munro Survives on 21

Tromp did not last long after drinks. Dian Forrester got one to grip off the surface and Tromp miscued the pull straight to Donovan Ferreira in the deep — Matthew Tromp c Ferreira b Forrester 11(11), one six. 59-3 with more than half the innings gone and 115 still needed — the chase looked all but over.

Then came the moment that changed the game. Shubham Ranjane dropped Colin Munro on 21 — a chance that would prove enormously costly. What followed was carnage.

Powell's 73 off 27 Balls: The Chase That Nobody Saw Coming

Rovman Powell arrived and immediately announced himself. From ball one, he accessed every part of the ground — drives, pulls, scoops — hitting with the kind of clean, savage power that makes him one of the most destructive batters in the world on his day. The TSK seamers had no answers. They offered width, he punished it; they tried to cramp him, he cleared the rope anyway. Six fours, six sixes, 73 off just 27 balls — Powell did not just chase the total, he made it look comfortable.

Munro, reprieved and emboldened, played the perfect foil. He rotated the strike intelligently, kept the scoreboard ticking, and punished anything loose himself — four sixes of his own en route to an unbeaten 55(42). Their 107-run partnership off just 41 deliveries turned the game entirely on its head. Powell was finally bowled by Amshi de Silva for 73 at 166-4 in the 18th over — but by then, the damage was done. Holder saw LAKR home with a calm *8(6)**.

LAKR 175-4 in 18.4 overs. Ferreira (1-18, Eco 6.00) and Forrester (1-19, Eco 6.30) were the pick of the bowlers, but none could stop Powell.

Result: LA Knight Riders Won by 6 Wickets

LA Knight Riders beat Texas Super Kings by 6 wickets at Knight Riders Cricket Field, Fairplex, Pomona — chasing 174 with 8 balls to spare.

Mukkamalla's 80(55) had given TSK a platform that looked more than sufficient on a slow two-paced surface; Milne, Ferreira and Forrester had kept LAKR at 51-2 at the halfway mark. But Rovman Powell changed everything in ten minutes of extraordinary hitting — and a dropped catch off Munro on 21 made sure TSK had no second chance. For LAKR, this win lifts them off the bottom of the table to fourth. For TSK, a fourth loss in seven means the margin for error in the playoff race is narrowing fast. 💛