LA Knight Riders steal 1-run win to be crowned MLC 2026 champions as …

Los Angeles Knight Riders have done it! Jason Holder and co. clinched a nail-biting one run win against Washington Freedom to be crowned the champions of Major League Cricket (MLC 2026). 2024 champions WF failed to chase down the 165-run target set by LAKR, thanks to Sunil Narine’s crunch performance with the ball. The Knight Riders now join two-time winners MI New York and Washington Freedom on the list of teams to lift the MLC trophy so far.

Narine guides LAKR to maiden MLC trophy

Sunil Narine was the star of the night for the Knight Riders as he finished with outstanding figures of 3/13 from his 4 overs, completely choking the Freedom in the run-chase. The Caribbean spinner got rid of the top three – Mitchell Owen (9 off 8), Steve Smith (8 off 13) and Rachin Ravindra (7 off 7) within the powerplay, handing WF an early blow in the run-chase. Andries Gous (40) attempted to wage a lone warrior knock, as he has often done so in the past, but failed to find support from the other end.

Obus Pienaar played a brilliant 53-run cameo off 24 deliveries (5 sixes, 3 fours, 220.83 strike rate) but it came a little too late. 14 runs were needed from the last over for Washington Freedom to lay their hands on their second title. However, Shadley van Schalkwyk bagged three wickets in the final over to deny WF a win in the last-delivery as LAKR clinched a 1-run win. sweetbonan.org

Batting first in the MLC 2026 final, LAKR got off to a good start, thanks to a 66-run opening stand between Colin Munro (40) and Andre Fletcher (47). While Russell and Narine perished for ducks, Matthew tromp’s 39-run knock came as a face-saver for the Knight Riders. The rest of the line-up largely struggled, managing to register just single digit scores. Eventually, they were bowled out for 164 runs in 19.4 overs.

LAKR road to maiden MLC trophy

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India vs England 2026 3rd ODI: The iconic Lord’s cricket ground in London is set to host the series decided between India and England as they head into the third and final ODI match level at 1-1. But all focus has shifted to the fact whether former India captain and currently ODI opener Rohit Sharma will play his 288th and final match on Sunday.

A media report earlier this week went viral claiming that Rohit Sharma is out of BCCI selection committee’s plans for the foreseeable future leading up to the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 next year. This may prompt Rohit Sharma to announce his ODI and international retirement on Sunday as he has already quit the T20 format in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025.

But BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has completely denied these rumours and even Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel came out and spoke in support of Rohit Sharma.

“Batting up front, it is not easy. No doubt Rohit will work it out, he has done it in past, he is experienced and he just brings that calmness to the batting lineup. So, without a doubt, no worried and concerns at all with the way he is going about things,” Morkel said at the pre-match press conference at Lord’s on Saturday.

There is, however, a major injury concern in the Shubman Gill’s Indian team with all-rounder Washington Sundar ruled out of the final game due to leg injury suffered at Cardiff. Sundar notched up an unbeaten fifty in the first ODI win at Edgbaston and was involved in a century partnership with Axar Patel as well.

The BCCI have added left-arm spinner and Vidarbha all-rounder Harsh Dubey into the squad in place of Sundar. Dubey or chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav is all set to replace Sundar in the Playing 11 at Lord’s.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper KL Rahul is expected to return straight back into the squad after missing the second ODI due to illness. Rahul will be replacing Ishan Kishan in the line-up.

Harry Brook’s England, on the other hand, released Tom Banton and Liam Dawson from the squad to take part in T20 Blast Finals day on Saturday. The duo is unlikely to play at Lord’s in the third ODI.

Pacer Josh Tongue could come back into the side in place of either Jofra Archer or Saqib Mahmood in the final ODI match.

Locked in, but enjoying the moment #RohitSharma and #GautamGambhir share a laugh on the Lord’s balcony before India take the field for the series-deciding ODI. #ENGvIND 3rd ODI SUN, 19th JULY, 2:30 PM on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/FUCQX0HxTa

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 18, 2026

India vs England 2026 3rd ODI match Predicted 11

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav/Harsh Dubey, Jasprit Bumrah, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna

England: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer/Josh Tongue, Saqib Mahmood/Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid

Boria Majumdar in London

There is no question that it has been difficult for Rohit Sharma. While Virat Kohli was cruising in Cardiff, Rohit was battling. Nine dot balls before getting off the mark, then a false shot against Will Jacks brought his innings to an end, undoing all the hard work. That extra second he spent at the crease before walking off showed just how disappointed he was. He had put in every effort, yet it had not worked out for him.

These are tough times. A Rohit in full flow would have dispatched Jacks over the boundary with ease, danced down the track and taken control. Not so in Cardiff. Yet he was prepared to grind it out. That is what you want to see in a performer – the effort. He did not let his ego take over and remained humble. That is what could work in his favour at Lord’s.

Clive Lloyd has often spoken about the importance of looking ugly when necessary and refusing to give up. That is exactly what Rohit appears prepared to do, and that is what I like seeing in him. He clearly has the hunger and, deep down, remains committed to giving it everything he has. For any performer, that is all you can ask for. Trust the process, do not give up, and the game will reward you.

The 46 balls Rohit faced in Cardiff could prove invaluable heading into the Lord’s match. He will know he can still spend time at the crease and make a difference for his team. He can still pull the short ball for six and make a telling contribution.

Many will point to his strike rate in Cardiff. Yes, it was below par, but not every day is one when batters can dominate from the outset. He needed to stay patient. India needed a platform to build on, and Rohit tried his best to provide it.

Rohit needs game time. He must play as much competitive cricket as possible if he wants to continue at the highest level. There is no substitute for time spent in the middle, and Rohit will know that better than anyone. For now, though, it is fair to say that Cardiff may have set him up for Lord’s. When he walks out today, he will do so knowing he spent valuable time at the crease in the previous game. He will know he can score runs and negotiate the new ball for India.

This is a huge game for Rohit. In sport, you are often judged by your last innings, and he knows what is at stake with the selectors due to meet before naming the squad for the West Indies series in September. Lord’s could shape that conversation. A significant innings would restore his self-belief and remind everyone that he is still capable of making things happen. It is the answer Indian cricket wants to see and, to an extent, it would quieten much of the negativity surrounding him.

Lord’s is ready. A sea of blue will welcome Rohit, but once he walks out, it will be just him, his bat and that 22-yard strip. No selectors, no BCCI, no outside noise. Just Rohit against Jofra Archer and company. His opportunity to prove he still belongs.

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India cricket team captain Shubman Gill has a golden opportunity to win his first series as captain in overseas as the team lock horns with England in the series deciding ENG vs IND 3rd ODI on Sunday. Ever since taking over the reins of the team from Rohit Sharma, the young captain has led the Men in Blue to victory in two out of five series, losing to Australia in an away series in the previous year and to New Zealand at home earlier this year. A win on Sunday will serve as a big confidence booster for Gill who will also be leading the side in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Gill closes in on first overseas series win as captain

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, in a video on his YouTube channel, pointed out that while Gill’s batting has been first-class, he was yet to win a series against a top team as captain. He claimed that while the Men in Blue did win against Afghanistan last month, it simply did not count as the underdogs weren’t a top team. Chopra added that in order for India to redeem itself after losing to AUS and NZ, it was imperative for Shubman to score runs and play a good knock like how he did in the first two ODIs against England.

“The focus will be on Shubman Gill because the year has been excellent, his performance against England has been excellent, but it’s also true that, as a captain, he hasn’t won an ODI series against a top team yet. He has won only against Afghanistan. I know it counts, but it doesn’t count. Let’s be honest. If you have lost against Australia and New Zealand, this is the one that you need to win, and for that he will have to score runs because he is in incredible form,” Chopra said.

India have, so far, won 9 out of 14 games that they have played under Shubman’s captaincy. An overseas series win isn’t on the list yet. Therefore, the ENG vs IND 3rd ODI at Lord’s is a must-win for Gill to boost his credentials, more than it is for Rohit Sharma or Gautam Gambhir.

Gill is India’s leading run-getter in ODIs since 2025, with 974 runs from 19 matches with a career average of over 60. In 2026 alone, he has scored 484 runs in jus 7 innings, and has one century and four fifties to his name. Shubman scored an unbeaten 80-run knock in the ENG vs IND 1st ODI before he was forced to retire hurt. In the 2nd ODI, he managed to score 31 runs before he was sent packing. The ENG vs IND 3rd ODI presents Gill the perfect opportunity to lead from the front with the bat.

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