LAKR swat aside TSK to seal top-two finish

LAKR Swat Aside TSK to Seal Top-Two Finish

Fifties from Colin Munro and Matthew Tromp powered Los Angeles Knight Riders to a comfortable six-wicket win over Texas Super Kings, sealing a top-two finish in the MLC 2026 standings and a qualifier date with the San Francisco Unicorns. LAKR's season had wobbled midway through the league stage, but three straight wins leave them well placed as they chase a maiden title.

For the Super Kings, a forgettable season ended with the wooden spoon and a fifth successive loss. Shubham Ranjane batted with real composure to get them to 171, but regular wickets meant it was never going to be enough. After Jason Holder won the toss and put TSK in, Sunil Narine removed Saiteja Mukkamalla in the first over. TSK managed 66 off the first six, though three wickets had already gone.

Every top-order batter got a start and failed to convert: Faf du Plessis (23 off 14), Rilee Rossouw (24 off 13) and Dian Forrester (24 off 11) all fell in the 20s, leaving TSK on 113 for 5 after 12 overs. Ranjane held firm for an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls, but Holder cut through the lower order to finish with 3 for 33.

LAKR, needing only a win to reach the qualifier, made no mistake. Andre Fletcher struggled for his 26 off 30, but Munro drove an 87-run opening stand with a dominant 62 off 36. A brief stutter followed, but with a modest target to chase, it barely registered. Tromp continued his rich vein of form with an unbeaten 58 off 28.

Brief scores: Texas Super Kings 171/9 in 20 overs (Shubham Ranjane 51*; Jason Holder 3-33, Andre Russell 2-38) lost to LA Knight Riders 172/4 in 19.1 overs (Colin Munro 62, Matthew Tromp 58*; Hardus Viljoen 2-42) by six wickets.