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 - including this one - 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, and the failings were familiar. Shubham Ranjane batted with real composure to get them to 171, but regular wickets around him meant it was never going to be enough. After Jason Holder won the toss and put TSK in, Sunil Narine extended his fine Powerplay record by removing Saiteja Mukkamalla in the first over. TSK still managed 66 off the first six, though three wickets had already gone by then.

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 scored fast but also fell in the 20s. That left TSK on 113 for 5 after 12 overs. Ranjane held firm at one end for an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls, but Holder cut through the lower order to finish with 3 for 33, and the Super Kings settled for a below-par total.

LAKR, needing only a win to reach the qualifier, made no mistake. Andre Fletcher struggled for his 26 off 30, but he found the ideal foil in Munro, who drove an 87-run opening stand with a dominant 62 off 36. That was enough context in itself: TSK's best partnership all innings had been 38.

A brief stutter - 3 for 14 - followed the opening stand, but with a modest target to chase, it barely registered. Tromp continued his rich vein of form with an unbeaten 58 off 28, a knock that spoke both to the flatness of the pitch and the gap between the two sides - on the day, and across the season.

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