Rashid Khan claimed a maiden Hundred five-wicket haul as MI London defeated Manchester Super Giants by 45 runs at the Kia Oval on Sunday. Rapid fifties from Will Jacks and Nicholas Pooran laid the platform, and the Afghanistan legspinner finished the job with the ball.
The result lifted MI London to second place in the table. Rashid Khan will now join Afghanistan’s squad for the ODI series in Ireland, though he could return to the Hundred if MI London reach the final on August 16. He is otherwise unlikely to feature again this season.
Jacks and Pooran Fire MI London to 183 for 6
Put in to bat first, Jacks got MI London off to their fastest powerplay start of the season. He raced to 34 off his first 18 balls, clearing the ropes four times, and the hosts reached 45 without loss inside 25 balls.
Pooran walked in at No. 3 and opened his account with a six off Liam Dawson. Jacks brought up a 28-ball half-century with a maximum off Noor Ahmad before falling for 62 off 31 balls, with MI London at 109 for 2.
Pooran and Sam Curran then added 44 runs off just 23 balls. Curran was stumped off Noor Ahmad, but Pooran kept going, hitting six, six and four off Gus Atkinson to reach fifty from 25 balls. Josh Tongue eventually bowled him for 54 off 28, and finished with figures of 2 for 13 despite the heavy scoring around him. MI London closed on 183 for 6, their highest total of the campaign.
Rashid Khan Claims Maiden Hundred Five-For
Chasing 184, Aiden Markram gave Manchester Super Giants a strong start, smashing 38 off 17 balls in the powerplay to take his side to 55 without loss.
Rashid Khan then turned the match. He removed Tim Seifert for 17 and had Jos Buttler caught on the leg-side boundary by Nathan Sowter for just 2. Markram reached his own fifty off 25 balls before falling to Sowter, caught by Curran at midwicket, leaving Super Giants three down and needing 110 off 55 balls.
The legspinner struck twice more in the space of two deliveries, dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and Tom Moores. Dawson then chopped on to hand him his fifth wicket, and Rashid Khan ended with figures of 5 for 17.
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Super Giants Fall Short Despite Markram’s Fifty
With the required rate climbing and wickets falling in clusters, Manchester Super Giants never recovered momentum. They were bowled out for 138, losing by 45 runs, though the defeat does not end their hopes of a place in the Hundred Eliminator.
Speaking after the match, Rashid Khan said he had gone through a quiet tournament by his own standards before this performance. He said he focused on hitting the right areas consistently and made things difficult for the batters. He added that national duty remained his first priority, and that he was looking forward to returning to Ireland with confidence after a strong few weeks in London.
MI London’s batting depth, combined with Rashid Khan’s bowling, proved decisive on a high-scoring night at the Oval. The win keeps them firmly in contention as the competition heads toward its final stages.
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