In a staggering Major League Cricket Eliminator in Oakland, Washington Freedom chased down 267 against MI New York to register the highest successful run chase in men’s T20 history, surpassing Punjab Kings’ famous chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. It took just two months for one of T20 cricket’s most remarkable records to fall. The six-wicket victory also came in a match that produced three centuries for the first time in men’s T20 cricket and an astonishing 536 runs.
At one stage, however, the result appeared all but certain.
Pooran’s record-breaking hundred put MI New York in command
After being sent in to bat, MI New York’s innings was built around a breathtaking assault from Nicholas Pooran. The left-hander blasted a 31-ball century, the fastest in Major League Cricket history, while Quinton de Kock contributed 51 and Kieron Pollard hammered 64 from only 25 deliveries, bringing up his 1,000 career T20 sixes in the process.
With MI New York racing to 211/3 after just 13 overs, even the 300-run mark looked within reach. The innings eventually finished at 266/9, largely because Rachin Ravindra produced a superb spell of 4/29 through the closing overs to prevent an even bigger total. Those late wickets would prove decisive.
Freedom recovers from 10/2
Chasing 267 was always going to demand something extraordinary, and Washington Freedom’s task became even harder when Shakib Al Hasan removed two batters early to reduce them to 10/2. That brought Steven Smith and Andries Gous together.
What followed was one of the greatest partnerships the format has witnessed. The pair added 241 runs from only 89 deliveries for the third wicket, equalling the second-highest partnership for any wicket in men’s T20 cricket. Both batters reached their centuries in just 40 balls, making it the first men’s T20 match in history to feature three centurions.
Gous led the charge with a blistering 132, becoming the first USA batter to score a century in Major League Cricket, while Smith anchored the chase with an unbeaten 110. Their relentless assault completely shifted the momentum as MI New York struggled to recover after dropping multiple chances in the field. Although Freedom lost Gous and Nikhil Chaudhary towards the end of the chase, Smith calmly ensured there were no late surprises, sealing victory with eight balls to spare.
The match rewrote several chapters of the record books. Washington Freedom eclipsed Punjab Kings’ record chase, three players scored centuries in the same men’s T20 for the first time, and the contest produced 51 sixes and 536 runs.
