Cricinfo: Freedom smash all-time T20 chase vs MI New York
Washington Freedom beat MI New York by six wickets in Eliminator 1 at Oakland on July 15, 2026, chasing 267 for a world-record T20 chase. Per Cricinfo, Freedom finished 270/4 in 18.4 overs after Andries Gous (132) and Steven Smith (110*) outdid Nicholas Pooran's MLC-fastest century.
The night match kept Washington Freedom's Major League Cricket season alive and ended MI New York's campaign. Full ball-by-ball detail is on the Cricinfo full scorecard.
Key Takeaways
- Freedom chased 267—the highest successful chase in T20 history—and won by six wickets with eight balls left.
- Gous (132 off 51) and Smith (110* off 48) shared a 241-run third-wicket stand from 89 balls.
- Pooran's 31-ball hundred was the fastest in MLC, yet MI New York's 266/9 still fell short.
- The game produced a record 51 sixes and the first three centuries in a single men's T20.
Who won MI New York vs Washington Freedom?
Washington Freedom won Eliminator 1 by six wickets. Chasing 267, they reached 270 for 4 in 18.4 overs at Oakland. MI New York had posted 266 for 9, powered by Nicholas Pooran (106), Kieron Pollard (64), and Quinton de Kock (51).
Rachin Ravindra took 4 for 29 for Freedom in the first innings, while Ben Dwarshuis claimed two wickets. For more live-stream and replay alerts, check BlasterPost Streaming & TV Alerts.
How did the record chase unfold?
Freedom slipped to 2 for 10 inside three overs before Smith and Gous flipped the script. Both reached centuries in 40 balls. Gous smashed 10 fours and 12 sixes; Smith finished unbeaten with seven fours and nine sixes—the fastest T20 hundred of his career, per Fox Sports.
Their 241 off 89 for the third wicket was the joint second-biggest partnership for any wicket in all T20s, according to Cricinfo. After Gous fell late, Freedom still closed the chase with eight balls remaining to seal a famous win.
What records did this Eliminator break?
Cricbuzz noted the 267 target eclipsed Punjab Kings' 265 chase against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026. The contest also set a T20 sixes record at 51 (MI New York 29, Freedom 22) and was the first T20 to feature three individual hundreds: Pooran, Gous, and Smith.
Freedom's 270/4 became the highest total in MLC history. Gous, per Fox Sports, became the first domestic player to score an MLC century. The result keeps Ricky Ponting's Freedom side alive while knocking out the defending champions.