LAKR beat Texas Super Kings to seal top-two finish

Los Angeles Knight Riders defeated Texas Super Kings by six wickets to secure a top-two finish in the MLC 2026 standings and a qualifier date with the San Francisco Unicorns thanks to fiftys from Colin Munro and Matthew Tromp. LAKR's season had wobbled midway through the league stage, but three straight wins - including this one - leave them well placed as they chase a maiden title. A forgettable season came to an end for the Super Kings with a fifth consecutive defeat and the wooden spoon, and the flaws were all too familiar. Shubham Ranjane batted with real composure to get them to 171, but regular wickets around him meant it was never going to be enough. Sunil Narine extended his excellent Powerplay record by removing Saiteja Mukkamalla in the first over after Jason Holder won the toss and put TSK in. Despite losing three wickets in the first six overs, TSK still scored 66 runs. Faf du Plessis (23 off 14), Rilee Rossouw (24 off 13), and Dian Forrester (24 off 11) all scored quickly but also fell in the 20s after getting the start. That left TSK on 113 for 5 after 12 overs. Holder cut through the lower order to finish with 3 for 33, and the Super Kings settled for a score that was below par. Ranjane held firm at one end and scored an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls. LAKR made no mistake, requiring only a victory to advance to the qualifier. Andre Fletcher struggled for his 26 off 30, but he found the ideal foil in Munro, who drove an 87-run opening stand with a dominant 62 off 36. That provided sufficient context on its own: TSK's 38-run partnership was their best of the innings. The first stand was followed by a brief stutter of 3 for 14, but with a small target to chase, it barely registered. With an unbeaten 58 off 28, Tromp continued his impressive run of form. His score pointed to the pitch's flatness as well as the gap between the two teams throughout the season.