Los Angeles Knight Riders Triumph Over Texas Super Kings by 12 Runs in MLC 2024 Opener
The Los Angeles Knight Riders showcased a stellar performance to defeat the Texas Super Kings by 12 runs in the second match of the 2024 Cognizant Major League Cricket at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.
Unmukt Chand’s impressive 68 off 45 balls powered the LA Knight Riders to a total of 162/7 in their 20 overs. Ali Khan then delivered a match-winning spell, taking four wickets for 33 runs, restricting the Texas Super Kings to 150/8 and sealing the victory.
Chasing 163, the Texas Super Kings started cautiously on a challenging batting wicket. Skipper Faf du Plessis (14 off 14) tried to accelerate but was dismissed by Spencer Johnson in the fifth over, caught by Derone Davis at mid-wicket. Aaron Hardie (11 off 14) fell to Shakib Al Hasan in the ninth over.
Opener Devon Conway kept the Super Kings in the hunt with timely boundaries. However, Ali Khan turned the game around for the Knight Riders by taking three wickets in the 14th over. He bowled Conway, dismissed Joshua Tromp (18 off 14) with a catch by Derone Davis, and had Milind Kumar (0 off 1) caught at slip by Andre Russell. Marcus Stoinis (2 off 6) fell in the following over, leaving the Super Kings reeling from 100/2 to 107/6 after 15 overs.
Calvin Savage then kept the Super Kings’ hopes alive with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. Along with Naveen-ul-Haq, he smashed 17 runs off Ali Khan in the 18th over, bringing the equation down to 27 runs from 12 balls. However, Russell and Khan bowled exceptional final overs to close out the game for the Knight Riders.
Earlier, Texas Super Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first. Zia-ul-Haq shook the LA Knight Riders’ lineup, dismissing openers Jason Roy (2 off 11) and Sunil Narine (2 off 3) in the third over, leaving them at 10/2.
Unmukt Chand and Shakib Al Hasan attempted to steady the innings, but Shakib fell to Aaron Hardie in the seventh over after scoring 18 off 13 balls. Nitish Kumar added 26 runs off 17 deliveries before being dismissed in the 11th over, with the score at 78/4.
Despite losing key players like David Miller (4 off 9) and Andre Russell (10 off 5), Chand held one end, scoring a magnificent 68 off 45 balls, with six boundaries and three sixes, anchoring the Knight Riders’ innings. He was dismissed in the last over, but Corne Dry’s three fours off Marcus Stoinis powered the Knight Riders to a respectable total of 162/7.
Brief Scores:
Los Angeles Knight Riders: 162/7 (Unmukt Chand 68, Milind Kumar 27, Zia-ul-Haq 2/16)
Texas Super Kings: 150/8 (Devon Conway 53, Calvin Savage 29, Ali Khan 4/33)
