MI New York vs LA Knight Riders Preview – MLC 2026 | Statz
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Thursday, June 25, 2026
MI New York host Los Angeles Knight Riders at Oakland Coliseum on Saturday in Major League Cricket 2026. First ball at 03:00 IST on 28 June (22:30 BST, 27 June). LAKR sit top of the table with a flawless 2-0 start, while MINY are fourth after splitting their opening two games. The Knight Riders are flying – but they have never beaten MI New York. Not once. That 0-4 head-to-head record looms large heading into a ground where LAKR have also never won.
Full H2H stats, projections and lineups on Statz
The Venue – Oakland Coliseum
Oakland Coliseum has hosted 10 T20s and the numbers are emphatic. The average first innings score is 190.3 – well above the T20 benchmark of 155-165 – and the pitch tag reads “Batting paradise”. Teams batting first have won 70% of the time here, so the toss could be decisive.
Pace bowlers claim 71.2% of the wickets at an economy of 9.13, while spinners are marginally tighter at 8.89 but only account for 23.3% of dismissals. The highest total recorded at Oakland is 269 and the lowest first innings is 145, so even on a quieter day there are runs to be had. Seven of the last ten first innings here have cleared 170.
The most recent game at the ground saw Texas Super Kings post 161/8 before bowling out San Francisco Unicorns for 139 on 25 June 2026. LAKR have played three T20s at Oakland and lost all three. MINY have one win from three at this venue.
Form and Table
MI New York sit 4th with 2 points from 2 matches (W1 L1). They opened with a comfortable chase against Texas Super Kings (162/2 vs TSK 158/10) before being outgunned by Washington Freedom (215/6 vs WSF 245/5). Across the last five matches spanning both seasons, their form reads W-L-W-W-W.
- W – 162/2 vs TSK 158/10 (2026)
- L – 215/6 vs WSF 245/5 (2026)
- W – 180/7 vs WSF 175/5 (2025)
- W – 172/3 vs TSK 166/5 (2025)
- W – 132/8 vs SFU 131/10 (2025)
Los Angeles Knight Riders top the table with 4 points from 2 matches (W2 L0). They demolished Seattle Orcas (196/10 vs SO 115/10) and chased down San Francisco Unicorns (154/3 vs SFU 150/7) with ease. Their last five reads W-W-W-L-L – though both defeats came against MINY in 2025.
- W – 196/10 vs SO 115/10 (2026)
- W – 154/3 vs SFU 150/7 (2026)
- W – 243/3 vs SFU 233/10 (2025)
- L – 136/4 vs MINY 142/9 (2025)
- L – 154/8 vs MINY 155/2 (2025)
MLC 2026 Standings (Top 4)
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Knight Riders | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Texas Super Kings | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Washington Freedom | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | MI New York | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
It is still early in the season with both sides having games in hand on Texas Super Kings.
Head-to-Head
4 meetings since 2023 (Statz data) and MI New York hold a perfect 4-0 record. The Knight Riders have never beaten MINY.
- 05 Jul 2025 – MINY 142/9 vs LAKR 136/4: MINY won by 6 runs
- 03 Jul 2025 – LAKR 154/8 vs MINY 155/2: MINY won by 8 wickets
- 22 Jul 2024 – LAKR 130/10 vs MINY 134/6: MINY won by 4 wickets
- 17 Jul 2023 – LAKR 50/10 vs MINY 155/8: MINY won by 105 runs
At Oakland Coliseum specifically, LAKR have played three T20s and lost all three. Their top scorer at this ground is Unmukt Chand with 76 runs across those three innings – an average of just 25.3. MINY’s Monank Patel leads all scorers at the ground with 175 runs, including a top score of 93.
Statz Projections
Statz gives MI New York a 67.8% win probability in the batting-first scenario, with LAKR at 30.2%. Even if LAKR win the toss and bat first, MINY are still favoured at 61.8%. Model confidence is 0.97 – about as strong as it gets.
The projected first innings total if MINY bat first is 201.1 (P10: 172, P90: 231), right in line with Oakland’s 190.3 venue average. The projected match total is 379 (P10: 325, P90: 429), comfortably above the ground average of 337.6 and reflecting the firepower in both lineups.
If LAKR bat first, the projected first innings is 185.9 (P10: 146, P90: 223) with a match total of 364.3. Either way, expect runs.
View full projections on Statz
Competition Season Leaders
Orange Cap – Top 5 Run Scorers (MLC 2026)
| Rank | Player | Team | Runs | Inn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Owen | WSF | 216 | 2 |
| 2 | Tim Seifert | SO | 187 | 3 |
| 3 | Faf du Plessis | TSK | 159 | 3 |
| 4 | Lhuan-dre Pretorius | SFU | 144 | 3 |
| 5 | Kieron Pollard | MINY | 107 | 2 |
Purple Cap – Top 5 Wicket Takers (MLC 2026)
| Rank | Player | Team | Wkts | Inn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottneil Baartman | SO | 8 | 3 |
| 2 | Amshi de Silva | TSK | 7 | 4 |
| 3 | Peter Siddle | SFU | 6 | 3 |
| 4 | Jasdeep Singh | SO | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | Dasun Shanaka | SO | 5 | 3 |
MI New York Season Leaders
Runs: Kieron Pollard 107 runs (avg 53.5, HS 100) | Nicholas Pooran 79 runs (avg 39.5, HS 68) | Monank Patel 51 runs (avg 25.5, HS 46)
Wickets: Corbin Bosch 5 wkts (best 4/-, avg 2.5 per inn) | Trent Boult 4 wkts (best 3/-, avg 2.0 per inn)
LA Knight Riders Season Leaders
Runs: Colin Munro 94 runs (avg 47.0, HS 64) | Andre Fletcher 74 runs (avg 37.0, HS 40) | Rovman Powell 54 runs (avg 27.0, HS 37)
Wickets: Andre Russell 4 wkts (best 3/-, avg 2.0 per inn) | Shadley van Schalkwyk 4 wkts (best 3/-, avg 2.0 per inn) | Sunil Narine 4 wkts (best 2/-, avg 2.0 per inn)
Predicted XIs
MI New York (based on XI vs Texas Super Kings, 22 Jun 2026)
- Monank Patel
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Nicholas Pooran (c)
- Tajinder Singh
- Kieron Pollard
- Corey Anderson
- Romario Shepherd
- Corbin Bosch
- Trent Boult
- Rushil Ugarkar
- Sunny Patel
Los Angeles Knight Riders (based on XI vs Seattle Orcas, 21 Jun 2026)
- Colin Munro
- Andre Fletcher (wk)
- Unmukt Chand
- Rovman Powell
- Andre Russell
- Jason Holder (c)
- Saif Badar
- Sunil Narine
- Shadley van Schalkwyk
- Carmi le Roux
- Karthik Gattepalli
Check the fixture page for any confirmed changes after the toss.
Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain
Captain: Jason Holder – projected 102.4 Dream11 points. The LAKR skipper offers elite dual value with bat and ball, projected for 1.58 wickets and useful lower-order runs at a strike rate of 160.4.
Vice Captain: Corbin Bosch – projected 101.6 Dream11 points. MINY’s leading wicket-taker this season with 5 from 2 innings, projected for 1.83 wickets in this match alongside handy runs at number 8.
Also consider:
- Shadley van Schalkwyk – 94.2 projected Dream11 pts
- Ryan Rickelton – 87.2 projected Dream11 pts (subject to selection)
- Kieron Pollard – 75.8 projected Dream11 pts
Key Players
Kieron Pollard (MI New York)
The big Trinidadian is 5th in the MLC 2026 Orange Cap race with 107 runs from just 2 innings at an average of 53.5, including a century in the season opener. On a surface averaging 190.3 in the first innings, Pollard’s power hitting through the middle overs is the most dangerous weapon in the MINY batting order. Statz projects him for 31.3 runs at a strike rate of 153.7.
Corbin Bosch (MI New York)
MINY’s leading wicket-taker with 5 from 2 innings this season, including figures of 4 in his last outing against Texas Super Kings. The South African all-rounder is projected for the most wickets in this match (1.83) and chips in with runs at number 8. Bosch has grabbed at least one wicket in both MLC 2026 innings – consistency that makes him a premium fantasy and bet builder pick.
Sunil Narine (LA Knight Riders)
The mystery spinner has 4 wickets in 2 innings this season at a projected economy of 7.12 – comfortably the most miserly among bowlers in this fixture. On a surface where spin accounts for 23.3% of wickets but at a tighter economy (8.89 ground average), Narine’s ability to strangle scoring through the middle overs is vital to LAKR’s chances of breaking the MINY hoodoo.
Nicholas Pooran (MI New York)
MINY’s captain has 79 runs this season at 39.5 with a high score of 68. The left-hander bats at number 3 and his aggressive approach suits Oakland’s flat deck. Pooran was the standout batter in the first two MLC seasons and his record against LAKR across 4 meetings has been dominant. Projected for 20.7 runs in this match.
Conditions
Clear skies at Oakland Coliseum with 18°C, 55% humidity and a gentle breeze at 7.6 km/h – perfect conditions for an uninterrupted contest under lights.
Verdict and Betting Angles
MI New York look the stronger side here. Statz projects them at 67.8% to win batting first, and the historical dominance over LAKR – 4-0 in all meetings since 2023 – is hard to ignore. The Knight Riders have never beaten MINY and have never won at Oakland Coliseum. That is a punishing double negative to overturn against a side loaded with Pollard, Pooran, de Kock and Boult.
LAKR’s 2-0 start to MLC 2026 has been impressive, and their attack led by Russell, van Schalkwyk and Narine has variety. But the head-to-head record is damning. MINY’s batting lineup is projected to put up 200+ if they bat first on a surface that demands 190+ in the first innings.
Pick: MI New York to win.
Odds are not yet available for this fixture – check closer to the match for live bet365 prices.
Bet Builder Angles
- Corbin Bosch 1+ wickets – projected for 1.83 wickets in this match. Bosch has taken at least one wicket in both MLC 2026 innings and grabbed 4 in his last outing vs TSK.
- Match total over 340.5 runs – projected match total of 379 in the MINY batting-first scenario. Oakland averages 337.6 per match and both sides have deep batting lineups.
- Kieron Pollard 20+ runs – projected for 31.3 runs. Pollard has 107 runs from 2 innings this season at 53.5, including scores of 100 and 7.
- Trent Boult 1+ wickets – projected for 1.24 wickets. Boult has 4 wickets in 2 MLC 2026 innings with figures of 3 in his last match.