MATCH 15 AT MLC 2025: TEXAS ROAR BACK TO FORM BUT REAL MVP ROBBED, SUPER KINGS CRUSH KNIGHT RIDERS AT HOME

Jun 24, 2025

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Grand Prairie Stadium erupted with home team joy on June 24, 2025, as Texas Super Kings finally delivered for their Dallas faithful, crushing Los Angeles Knight Riders by 52 runs in Match 15. After two consecutive defeats, the Super Kings found their roar when it mattered most, with the Texas crowd getting exactly what they came for.

Los Angeles Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that initially looked spot-on. Shadley van Schalkwyk came out breathing fire in the powerplay, ripping through Texas's top order like a man possessed. The South African pacer struck twice in consecutive balls, dismissing Saiteja Mukkamalla and Marcus Stoinis for a golden duck, leaving the home side reeling at 33/3 inside four overs.

With captain Faf du Plessis already dismissed and their backs against the wall, Texas needed heroes. Enter Shubham Ranjane and Smit Patel, who steadied the sinking ship with a crucial 64-run partnership. As the duo battled to rebuild, one commentator in the 7th over raised doubts about the domestic players' ability to accelerate: "Now you are asking the domestic players to now really assess and slow down I don't know if they've got or they can go through the gears as much but at the moment the projected scores are 172 we've been talking about that its got to  be well over 200."

Those words would prove prophetic - Texas did finish at 196, well above the projected 172, and it was precisely those "questioned" domestic players who delivered the goods. Patel provided the anchor with a composed 38 off 33 balls before Andre Russell broke through, but the real fireworks were yet to come.

Ranjane found the perfect partner in South African powerhouse Donovan Ferreira, and together they unleashed absolute chaos. The duo demolished Knight Riders' bowling with an explosive 82-run stand in just 40 balls that completely transformed the game. Ferreira was particularly brutal, smashing 43 runs off just 21 deliveries with four boundaries and three massive sixes. His assault on Russell in the 16th over - featuring a six followed by back-to-back fours - had the Grand Prairie crowd on their feet.

Ranjane, meanwhile, compiled a masterful 70 off 45 balls, laced with six fours and four sixes. The domestic talent reached his fifty in style with a maximum off Jason Holder, before both batters targeted van Schalkwyk's final over for three sixes, including two thunderous blows from Ranjane's willow. A comical run-out involving both set batters in the 19th over ended their partnership, but the damage was done as Texas posted 196/8.

Chasing 197, Los Angeles Knight Riders were blown away before they could even settle. Akeal Hosein, making his debut for Texas, produced magic with his very first over. Alex Hales fell first, moving away from his stumps to make room but only managing to chip a short delivery with a hint of turn straight to Stoinis at short cover. Nitish Kumar followed immediately after - Hosein's devastating arm ball seamed up on the stumps with just enough deviation off the pitch to breach the bat-pad gap as Kumar played down the wrong line off the back foot, completely deceived. Knight Riders were left shellshocked at 10/2.

The early collapse set the tone for a chase that never recovered. Unmukt Chand tried to rebuild with a patient 30, adding 45 runs with Saif Badar, but Marcus Stoinis broke the partnership to trigger another collapse. The required run rate kept climbing relentlessly as Texas's spinners Noor Ahmad and Hosein maintained a stranglehold, finishing with figures of 2/27 and 2/10 respectively.

Speaking after the victory, captain Faf du Plessis reflected on the pitch conditions with typical humor. "I felt this wicket wasn't the same as the first couple of games we played on it. It was a little bit slow, a little bit lower, so we were thinking 180 was probably a good score. But that's the nature of it if you've got some power at the back end."

From the Knight Riders camp, there was visible frustration as their batting lineup once again failed to fire. With only one win from five games, their tournament hopes are hanging by a thread as they continue to struggle with consistency.

THE RANJANE ROBBERY: WHEN AWARDS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY

While Donovan Ferreira deservedly claimed the MVP award for his explosive 43 off 21 balls, many observers felt justice wasn't served in the post-match presentations. Ferreira also scooped the Power Hitter award for a monstrous 328-foot six, while Akeal Hosein earned Play of the Day honors for his consecutive wickets. But here's the rub - Shubham Ranjane, the man who anchored the entire innings with a sublime 70 off 45 balls, walked away empty-handed.

Cricket purists couldn't help but scratch their heads. Ranjane faced 24 more balls than Ferreira, scored 27 more runs, and was the backbone of Texas's recovery from 33/3. His knock was the epitome of situation-aware batting - rebuilding when needed, accelerating when required, and providing the platform for Ferreira's fireworks. Yet somehow, the award pickers seemed mesmerized by the shorter, more explosive cameo.

Don't get us wrong - Ferreira's innings was spectacular. But when you're rebuilding from a collapse and setting up a match-winning total, shouldn't the primary architect get some recognition? Ranjane's effort felt like watching a master craftsman at work, only for the spotlight to fall entirely on the finishing touches.

This comprehensive victory catapulted Texas Super Kings to second place on the points table, finally giving their home fans something to celebrate. For Los Angeles Knight Riders, it marked their fourth defeat in five matches, leaving them staring at an uphill battle for playoff qualification.

The Grand Prairie crowd witnessed exactly what home advantage should look like - Texas Super Kings delivering when their fans needed them most.

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