Watch: Nicholas Pooran led MI New York to a maiden title in the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket with a century for the ages in the final yesterday (July 30). He sealed it off with an epic celebration where he lay flat on the pitch, pumped fists in ecstasy, and tossed his helmet as he was mobbed by teammates.
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MI New York won the toss in the MLC 2023 final and put Seattle Orcas in. Quinton de Kock led the charge at the top with a 52-ball 87 before cameos from Shubham Ranjane and Dwaine Pretorius helped Seattle finish on 183-9.
New York lost Steven Taylor on the third ball, before they got a run. Shayan Jahangir, the other opener, fell for an 11-ball 10. However, by the time he was dismissed, MI New York had raced off to 62 off five overs, thanks almost entirely to Pooran’s blitz at No.3.
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In a rather astonishing knock, he struck 10 fours and 13 sixes off just 55 balls and finished not out on 137 in a run-chase of 184 with a strike rate of nearly 250.
The winning shot came on the last ball of the 16th over, where he managed to squeeze a Cameron Gannon yorker past short fine leg. In the process of digging out the yorker, Pooran fell onto the pitch and as he watched the ball go past the boundary and take his team to victory.
Pooran lay there and screamed his lungs out and pumped his fists to celebrate. Once non-striker Tim David helped him back up on his feet, Pooran tossed his helmet before getting mobbed by his teammates who came rushing out from the dugout.
Watch Nicholas Pooran’s epic celebration after leading MI New York to victory in the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket:
The fireworks had nothing on Nicky P tonight, NOTHING! 🎇The moment we became the first #MajorLeagueCricket champions. 🏆💙 #OneFamily #MINewYork pic.twitter.com/8bXE7Aq3V4
— MI New York (@MINYCricket) July 31, 2023