Los Angeles Knight Riders edged San Francisco Unicorns by 11 runs in a heart-stopping MLC 2026 encounter, climbing to second in the standings. The win leaves them level on points with the Unicorns but trailing on net run rate.
Holder and Russell dominate with bat and ball
Jason Holder and Andre Russell turned the game on its head with a combined seven wickets. Holder’s 4-40 dismantled the Unicorns’ top order, while Russell’s 3-42 sealed the deal. Earlier, Russell had blazed 40 off 18 balls, and Colin Munro’s 52 set the platform for the Knight Riders’ 184/7.
The Unicorns fought back with Haris Rauf’s 3-25, but their chase faltered early. Holder’s Powerplay burst—removing Finn Allen, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Sanjay Krishnamurthi—left them reeling at 42/4. Hassan Khan (45) and Matthew Short (43) steadied the ship, but Hammad Azam’s late 40 wasn’t enough.
MLC 2026 playoff race heats up
With MI New York also on 10 points, the top three is now a tight squeeze. The Knight Riders’ victory keeps their playoff hopes alive, while the Unicorns’ first loss of the day drops them to second on NRR.
- Los Angeles Knight Riders: 184/7 (20 overs) – Colin Munro 52, Matthew Tromp 49, Andre Russell 40; Haris Rauf 3-25, Xavier Bartlett 2-24
- San Francisco Unicorns: 173 all out (19.1 overs) – Hassan Khan 45, Matthew Short 43, Hammad Azam 40; Jason Holder 4-40, Andre Russell 3-42
