A match-winning innings by Unmukt Chad helped Los Angeles Knight Riders win their first match of the ongoing MLC 2025 against the Seattle Orcas.
The win for the Knight Riders came after a three-match losing streak. The win has kept them fifth on the MLC 2025 points table. The Orcas, led by Heinrich Klaasen, are still searching for their first win of the new season.
Chasing 178 runs to win, Unmukt Chand stayed unbeaten on 86 runs off 58 balls with 10 fours and four sixes and scored with a strike rate of almost 150.
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Bravo Lauds Chand's Heroics Against Seattle Orcas
Saif Badar, the middle-order batter, scored his maiden T20 fifty as he scored 54 runs off 32 balls. Sherfane Rutherford's unbeaten 20 runs off nine balls took the LAKR to their first win of the season.
With the ball, Andre Russell's spell of three wickets for 30 runs helped the Knight Riders to restrict the Seattle Orcas to 177 runs for six wickets.
After Chand took LAKR to their first win of the season, LAKR head coach and cricket legend DJ Bravo has backed the former India U-19 skipper to play for the USA cricket team.
“This guy (Unmukt Chand) deserves to be involved in USA Cricket team. Cricket is bigger than politics. Let’s do right for these players. Well Done" Bravo wrote in his Instagram story.
Chand was chosen as the Player Of the Match. He spoke after the match about his knock and about the ground conditions.
"It was good, it was very important to win the game, we bowled well, 170+ was a good score on this pitch. We wanted to give a good base so that our power-hitters could come in and finish the game. It makes a huge difference for the top-order to set things up and Saif played his part as well, he was due a big score as well" said Chand.
Knight Riders To Play Super Kings Next
He also spoke in the pre-match press conference about his association with the Knight Riders and about the LA Knight Riders as a franchise.
"We have a great side. It's sad that we couldn't qualify for the last two years. We couldn't win the first 3 matches this year. Today we all stepped up really nicely, despite Sunil not being there. That's a great sign. Knight Riders are a great franchise. Specially the fact that we were 3 matches down and still the franchise didn't interfere in the cricketing side of it. It lets you do your own stuff" he further added.
The LA Knight Riders next take on the Texas Super Kings on June 24, having recently lost to them in California on June 15.
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