Du Plessis Blitzes Unbeaten 113 as Texas Chase Down 220 in MLC Opener

Texas Super Kings won by 6 wickets (with 9 balls remaining) against Seattle Orcas in the opening match of Major League Cricket 2026 at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas. The 1st match of 34 in the regular season saw a record-breaking chase anchored by Faf du Plessis, who smashed an unbeaten 113 off 52 balls to overhaul a massive 220/2 with nine balls to spare.

First Innings – Seattle Orcas 220/2 (20 overs)

Tim Seifert and Shayan Jahangir put on a destructive opening partnership of 191 before Jahangir fell in over 17.2 for 78 off 47 balls (3 fours, 7 sixes, SR 166). Seifert continued to 104 off 66 (8 fours, 6 sixes, SR 158) before being dismissed at 208/2 in over 19.2. Shimron Hetmyer (8* off 8) and Marcus Stoinis (13* off 3, two sixes) pushed the total to an imposing 220/2.

Texas’ bowlers took heavy punishment. Mohammad Mohsin conceded 51 from his four overs at an economy of 12.75, while Wiaan Mulder went for 31 in just two overs. Amshi de Silva (1/35, Econ 8.75) and Adam Milne (1/41, Econ 10.25) claimed the two wickets, but neither came cheap. Nandre Burger was the most economical with 0/27 from four overs (Econ 6.75).

Second Innings – Texas Super Kings 221/4 (18.3 overs)

The chase got off to the worst possible start when Saiteja Mukkamalla was caught for a duck off just the second ball – Texas 1/1 in over 0.2. That brought Rilee Rossouw to the crease, and alongside du Plessis, the pair launched an extraordinary counter-attack. Rossouw smashed 49 off 21 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes, SR 233) before falling at 96/2 in over 6.3 – the partnership worth 95 off just 37 deliveries.

Milind Kumar contributed 13 off 12 before departing at 126/3 in over 10.4, and Shubham Ranjane made 10 off 10 before being dismissed at 165/4 in over 14.1. That left Texas needing 56 from 35 balls with du Plessis still at the crease. Mulder joined him and blasted 31 not out off 15 (3 sixes, SR 207) as the pair finished the job with nine balls remaining.

Seattle used seven bowlers but none could contain du Plessis. Cameron Gannon (1/55, Econ 13.75) was the most expensive, while Jasdeep Singh (1/31, Econ 15.50) and Ottneil Baartman (1/40, Econ 13.33) each took a wicket. Stoinis was the pick of the attack with 1/15 from 1.5 overs (Econ 8.18), but it was nowhere near enough.

Statz MVP – Faf du Plessis (137.86)

Faf du Plessis earns the Statz MVP award with a match impact rating of 137.86 out of 100 – a score that reflects the sheer magnitude of his innings. His unbeaten 113 off 52 balls (9 fours, 7 sixes, SR 217) drove a successful chase of 221 and came when wickets were falling at regular intervals around him. Statz calculates impact based on match context, and chasing down 220 in a season opener with this kind of individual dominance rates off the charts. Statz agrees with the official Player of the Match award.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Faf du Plessis (TSK) – 137.86 | Unbeaten 113 off 52 anchoring a chase of 221. Nine fours, seven sixes, strike rate 217. The complete innings under pressure.
2. Tim Seifert (SO) – 100.00 | Century in a losing cause – 104 off 66 with 8 fours and 6 sixes. Anchored a 191-run opening stand that proved not to be enough.
3. Shayan Jahangir (SO) – 89.59 | Electric 78 off 47 at the top of the order with 7 sixes. His partnership with Seifert set a platform that should have been match-winning.
4. Rilee Rossouw (TSK) – 88.19 | Blistering 49 off 21 (SR 233) to get the chase into overdrive. Seven fours in a cameo that shifted momentum decisively.
5. Wiaan Mulder (TSK) – 61.66 | All-round contribution of 31* off 15 with three sixes in the chase, plus two overs of seam in the first innings.

Turning Point

Shubham Ranjane‘s dismissal at 165/4 in over 14.1 should have been the moment Seattle seized control. Texas still needed 56 from 35 balls with their middle order exposed. Instead, du Plessis and Mulder turned that potential crisis into a match-winning partnership of 56 off just 26 balls. Seattle’s inability to find du Plessis’ edge at any point in the innings was the defining failure of their evening.

Match Context

This was the 1st match of 34 in the MLC 2026 regular season, and Texas Super Kings move to the top of the table (1st – W1 L0, 2 pts, NRR +0.946). Seattle Orcas drop to 6th (W0 L1, 0 pts, NRR -0.946). Texas won the toss and chose to bowl first, a call vindicated by their ability to chase down 220. The result extends Texas’ head-to-head advantage to 4-2 over Seattle across all MLC meetings. Early days in the season, but this is a statement win – chasing down 220 with six wickets in hand sets the tone for what promises to be an entertaining campaign.

Full scorecard on Statz