Ben Dwarshuis crushed Texas Super Kings' playoff dreams with a blistering 38* off 16 balls, firing Washington Freedom to a 3-wicket win in a nail-biting chase. The all-rounder's late assault—featuring three sixes and two fours—turned a tense finish into a triumphant one.

Dwarshuis' late heroics steal the show

With Freedom needing 52 from 24 balls, Dwarshuis took charge. A six over deep mid-wicket. Another from Obus Pienaar. Then a towering shot over long-off—22 runs in one over that left Super Kings reeling. Even when Pienaar fell, Dwarshuis wasn’t done. A four. A six. And with two balls to spare, the game was gone.

Super Kings' collapse hands Freedom the edge

Texas Super Kings posted just 165, a total that looked under par after Faf du Plessis (61) and Saiteja Mukkamalla (47) had set a blistering pace with a 93-run stand. But then came the collapse—six wickets for 33 runs in the death overs. Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, and Nikhil Chaudhary each claimed two scalps, snuffing out any late momentum.

Freedom’s chase wobbled too. After Steve Smith (46) and Ravindra’s early fireworks, they slumped from 79/1 to 107/6. But Dwarshuis’ late pyrotechnics ensured the stumble didn’t cost them. The win lifts Freedom to fourth—level on 10 points with the top three, separated only by NRR. Seattle Orcas, with 8 points, now need a win against San Francisco Unicorns to stay alive.

Match highlights and key stats

  • Texas Super Kings 165 (Faf du Plessis 61, Saiteja Mukkamalla 47; Mitchell Owen 2-19, Rachin Ravindra 2-20, Nikhil Chaudhary 2-30)
  • Washington Freedom 166/7 in 19.4 overs (Steve Smith 46, Ben Dwarshuis 38*; Akeal Hosein 2-26, Dian Forrester 2-28)
  • Result: Washington Freedom won by 3 wickets