Powell's 73 powers LAKR past Texas Super Kings into fourth

Los Angeles Knight Riders produced their best chase of the Major League Cricket 2026 season as they defeated Texas Super Kings by six wickets, with Rovman Powell's explosive 73 off 27 balls overturning what had looked a difficult pursuit. The victory ended LAKR's three-match losing streak and lifted them from the bottom of the standings to fourth.

The win came at Pomona after Texas Super Kings posted 173 for 5, thanks largely to Saiteja Mukkamalla's 80 from 55 balls. At 63 for 3 after 11 overs, Knight Riders still needed 111 runs from 54 deliveries before Powell and Colin Munro transformed the contest with an unbroken assault that changed both the match and the MLC table.

Texas Super Kings made a brisk start after being asked to bat, reaching 58 for 2 inside the powerplay with Mukkamalla driving the innings. While LAKR slowed the scoring through the middle overs, Mukkamalla kept the scoreboard moving and reached his half-century from 43 deliveries.

The right-hander accelerated decisively after fifty. He struck Andre Russell for a straight six, followed with boundaries against Sunil Narine, and then cleared long-on off Jason Holder as Texas looked set for an even bigger finish.

Russell eventually removed Mukkamalla for 80 from 55 balls, caught at long-on in the penultimate over. Even so, Wiaan Mulder's unbeaten 29 from 16 balls and Dian Forrester's eight from three deliveries helped Texas finish on 173 for 5, a strong score on a surface where the previous two matches had produced relatively modest totals.

Knight Riders' chase never looked straightforward during the opening half. Andre Fletcher departed cheaply and when Matthew Tromp fell in the 11th over, LAKR had slipped to 63 for 3. Munro remained unbeaten on a cautious 23 from 27 balls, leaving the required rate climbing rapidly.

Everything changed when Powell arrived.

The West Indies batter immediately shifted the momentum, first helping LAKR collect 17 runs in the 13th over before dismantling Mulder with two sixes and two fours in a single over worth 22 runs. Munro gradually found his rhythm alongside him, rotating the strike before capitalising whenever Texas missed their lengths.

With 40 needed from the final four overs, Powell produced the defining spell of the evening against Adam Milne. He hammered 6, 6, 4, 4, 4, bringing up a remarkable 18-ball half-century and effectively deciding the contest within five deliveries.

Amshi de Silva eventually dismissed Powell for 73 from only 27 balls, but the required runs had almost disappeared. Munro calmly remained unbeaten on 55, ensuring Knight Riders crossed the line with eight balls remaining.

Powell rightly collected most of the attention, but Munro's unbeaten innings proved equally valuable in context. His measured approach allowed Powell complete freedom to attack, and the pair's 107-run partnership for the fourth wicket came from just 41 deliveries.

Earlier in the innings, Munro had struggled for fluency, scoring only 23 from his first 27 balls before accelerating once Powell seized control. Their contrasting styles ultimately produced one of the tournament's most decisive partnerships.

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The result dramatically tightened the Major League Cricket standings. LAKR climbed from sixth to fourth while ending a run of three successive defeats.

Remarkably, all six teams now sit on six points, with net run rate becoming the only separator in one of the closest league tables seen in the competition. Every remaining fixture therefore carries significant playoff implications.

Knight Riders will look to build on the momentum created by Powell's match-winning innings as the league enters its decisive phase. Texas Super Kings, meanwhile, remain firmly in contention despite the defeat, with their healthy net run rate and Mukkamalla's continued form offering encouragement ahead of their next fixture.