AKEAL Hosein’s all-round brilliance gave the Texas Super Kings a fighting chance, but in the end, it was Kieron Pollard’s vintage fireworks that lit up Grand Prairie Stadium and powered MI New York into the 2025 MLC final with a commanding seven-wicket win on Friday night.
It was a tale of two Trinidadians, both playing starring roles for their sides—but only one would walk off a winner.
Hosein, who stepped up when the Super Kings were in deep trouble at 85-5, smashed a career-best T20 score of 55 not out from 32 balls—his maiden half-century in the format—as he carved boundaries at will and injected much-needed life into the back end of the innings. His calculated assault included four fours and four sixes and was crucial in pushing Texas to a competitive total.
Scores: Texas Super Kings 166-5 (20 overs); MI New York 172-3 (19 overs)
And in a delicious twist of cricketing fate, one of the bowlers he took to task was none other than Pollard himself, who conceded 41 runs in his four overs without a wicket.
But Pollard is no stranger to redemption, and he delivered in crushing style. As MI New York’s chase faltered at 83-3 in the 13th over, and the asking rate crept over 12 runs per over, the veteran power-hitter came to the crease and immediately turned the tide.
His first boundary was a monstrous 100-metre six off Noor Ahmad that cleared the sightscreen and sent an ominous warning to the Super Kings. By the time Pollard was done, he had belted 47 not out from just 22 balls, an innings that featured four fours and three sixes, and wrestled momentum away from the Super Kings with one brutal over of 23 runs off Zia-ul-Haq.
Nicholas Pooran played the perfect support role, as he anchored the chase with an unbeaten 52 off 36 deliveries to ensure that MI New York crossed the line with an over to spare.
Earlier, Hosein had not only rescued the Super Kings with the bat but also impressed with the ball, as he delivered a tight spell to take one wicket for 11 from three overs. His control and guile briefly applied pressure on MI New York’s batting order, especially after he removed the dangerous Michael Bracewell (eight).
But even with Hosein’s excellence, the Super Kings had too many soft spots. Faf du Plessis’ 42-ball 59 was the only resistance in the top order, as the rest of the frontline collapsed meekly. It was not until Hosein and Donovan Ferreira, who made a 20-ball 32, combined for an unbroken 81-run stand that Texas Super Kings regained their footing.

Young Tristan Luus (3-35) and Rushil Ugarkar (2-31) did the damage for MI New York.
Yet, with a middle order as seasoned and explosive as MI New York’s, 166 was never enough. Monank Patel’s 49 off 39, which had five fours and two sixes, had set a platform, and Pooran, who also had four boundaries and three sixes in his knock, and Pollard simply took it home in style.
Pollard’s statement knock was a reminder of his enduring value in franchise cricket—even at 38. For all his coaching duties in the IPL, he continues to be a match-winner with bat in hand when it matters most.
And now, thanks to his late blitz, MI New York will face Washington Freedom in the MLC final, as they completed a remarkable resurgence after they barely scraped into the playoffs with just three wins in the league phase.