In the exciting, Major League Cricket also known as MLC 2023 final held at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Nicholas Pooran, the stand-in captain of MI New York, showcased a spectacular and aggressive performance, scoring a remarkable century off just 40 balls against the Seattle Orcas.
MI New York was chasing a target of 184 runs to secure the inaugural MLC title. Pooran entered the crease at number three after the dismissal of opener Steven Taylor for a three-ball duck.
With incredible determination, Pooran wasted no time in achieving a 16-ball half-century, launching powerful sixes against the opposition bowlers.
Nicholas Pooran also became the second player to score a century in the tournament. Initially, Heinrich Klaasen marked his name in the history of Major League Cricket by scoring the first-ever century of the tournament.
In a high-scoring match, Klaasen played a magnificent and unbeaten knock of 110 runs off just 44 balls, guiding the Seattle Orcas to a thrilling victory.
By the end of his innings, Pooran remained unbeaten at an astounding 137 runs off just 55 deliveries, smashing an impressive 13 sixes and 10 fours. His innings also secured the second-highest score by a captain batting second in T20 matches.
Nicholas Pooran’s leadership responsibilities were handed to him due to an injury to Kieron Pollard, but he admirably rose to the occasion, showcasing exceptional batting skills and guiding the team to a memorable victory in the Major League Cricket (MLC 2023) final.
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— Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 31, 2023
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With this triumph, the MI franchise added another T20 league title to their name outside of the IPL, after earlier teams MI Cape Town and MI Emirates failed to secure victory in their respective SA20 League or the International League T20 (ILT20).
Mumbai Indians, renowned for their five IPL titles, can now boast of MI New York as the inaugural champions of the Major League Cricket. The tournament also witnessed some outstanding performances, and here is the list of award winners:
Major League Cricket Awards (MLC 2023)
Best Domestic Player of MLC 2023: Cameron Gannon (Seattle Orcas) – The Australia-born USA cricketer played 7 matches and took 11 wickets.
Most Wicket-taker of MLC 2023: Trent Boult (MI New York) – The Kiwi pacer claimed a total of 22 wickets during the campaign.
Most Run Scorer in MLC 2023: Nicholas Pooran (MI New York) – The star of the final scored an impressive total of 388 runs, well ahead of the second-placed Heinrich Klaasen.
α΅Κ°α΅ α΅βΏΛ‘ΚΈ α΅Κ°β±βΏα΅ α΅α΅β±βΏα΅ Κ³β±α΅Κ°α΅ αΆ α΅Κ³ Λ’α΅α΅α΅α΅Λ‘α΅
— Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 31, 2023
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Most Valuable Player in MLC 2023: Nicholas Pooran (MI New York) – His exceptional performance throughout the tournament, including the final, earned him this well-deserved award.
The runners-up of the tournament were the Seattle Orcas, who finished at the top of the points table, winning 4 out of the 5 matches they played. On the other hand, MI New York emerged as the triumphant inaugural champions, even though they finished 4th in the league table.
MI New York secured their place in the final by defeating Washington Freedom in the Eliminator and Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 2.
Major League Cricket Prize Money 2023
The winner of the Major League Cricket final received prize money of $505,000 USDT, which will be awarded to MI New York.
On the other hand, the runner-up team, Seattle Orcas, earned a prize of $252,500 USD for their performance in the final. (Note: This data still needs validation from official sources, the mentioned amount is made on individual guess)
Whereas, The prize money for the Play of the Day or Player of the Match is $1,000, which is around 81,000 Indian Rupees.
Major League Cricket 2023 Stats and Records
| Record | Player/Team Name | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Leading run-scorer | Nicholas Pooran | 388 runs |
| Leading wicket-taker | Trent Boult | 22 Wickets |
| Highest strike rate (min. 100 runs) | Heinrich Klaasen | 197.47 strike rate |
| Highest batting average (min. 5 inns) | Andre Russell | 68.66 |
| Most Valuable Player of the Season | Nicholas Pooran | |
| Most half-centuries in the season | Quinton de Kock | 3 fifties |
| Fastest half-century in MLC 2023 | Nicholas Pooran | 16 balls |
| Fastest century in MLC 2023 | Nicholas Pooran | 40 balls |
| Most fours in the season | Quinton de Kock | 26 fours |
| Most sixes in the season | Nicholas Pooran | 34 sixes |
| Most catches in the season (fielder) | Heinrich Klaasen | 9 catches |
| Most sixes in an innings | Nicholas Pooran | 13 |
| Best bowling figures in an innings | Saurabh Netravalkar | 6/9 |
| Best Economy Rate (min. 20 overs) | Imad Wasim | 6.33 |
| Most dismissals by a wicketkeeper | Quinton de Kock | 9 dismissals |
| Highest team total | San Francisco Unicorns | 215/5 |
| Lowest team total | Los Angeles Knight Riders | 50 all-out |
| Player of the Tournament | Cameron Gannon | 11 wickets at 7.39 |
FAQs
Best Domestic Player of MLC 2023
Cameron Gannon (Seattle Orcas), displayed an impressive performance in Major League Cricket. The Australian-born USA cricketer participated in 7 matches and grabbed 11 wickets.
Top Wicket-taker of MLC 2023?
Trent Boult, representing MI New York, emerged as the leading wicket-taker in MLC 2023. The Kiwi pacer showcased his skill and talent, claiming an impressive total of 22 wickets throughout the campaign.
Who scored the most runs in MLC 2023?
Nicholas Pooran emerged as the top run-scorer in MLC 2023. The star player of the final scored an impressive total of 388 runs during the tournament, leaving the second-placed Heinrich Klaasen far behind in the run-scoring charts.