LA Knight Riders host MI New York in the 20th Match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 at the Knight Riders Cricket Ground at Fairplex, Pomona on Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day!).
MI New York are the DEFENDING CHAMPIONS (2 titles: 2023 + 2025) and have an embarrassment of West Indian riches. Nicholas Pooran captains a squad featuring Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell. LA Knight Riders have STRUGGLED this season.
They collapsed from a winning position vs MI NY in Match 12 (lost 10 wickets for 50 runs after Pooran rescued MI NY with his batting). Romario Shepherd produced the MOST ECONOMICAL figures in MLC history in that game but it wasn’t enough. This is LAKR’s chance for REVENGE on their HOME ground.
LAKR vs MI NY Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | LA Knight Riders vs MI New York, 20th Match |
| Series | Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 (Season 4). 6 teams, double round-robin. MI NY defending champions (2 titles). REVERSE FIXTURE of Match 12. |
| Date | Saturday, 4 July 2026 (Independence Day!). Day-Night. |
| Time | Local evening / IST late night; toss 30 minutes earlier |
| Venue | Knight Riders Cricket Ground at Fairplex, Pomona, California. LAKR’s new HOME ground. First MLC match played here recently. |
| Format | 20 overs per side |
| Captains | LA Knight Riders (TBC), Nicholas Pooran (MI New York) |
| Form | LAKR: STRUGGLING. Collapsed 10 for 50 vs MI NY in Match 12. Lost to Seattle Orcas (Shanaka masterclass). Shepherd most economical MLC figures. De Kock + Boult quality but team form poor. MI NY: DEFENDING CHAMPS (2 titles). Pooran rescued vs LAKR. Russell, Narine, Holder WI legends. Rickelton SA batting. Won the 2025 final despite finishing 4th in the league stage. |
Dream11 Team for LAKR vs MI NY, 20th Match
Top Picks for LAKR vs MI NY, 20th Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Narine | MI NY | Captain / AR | Captain pick. 800+ T20 wkts. Mystery spin + opening batting. At 2x. Magical spells (1/17, 1/23, 1/21). Two-way points. |
| Quinton de Kock | LAKR | VC / WK | Vice-Captain pick. SA explosive opener. WK bonus. At 1.5x. Needs BIG knock to lift LAKR. |
| Nicholas Pooran | MI NY | WK / Batter | MI NY captain. RESCUED MI NY vs LAKR in Match 12. 137* in MLC 2023 final. Most DESTRUCTIVE finisher in franchise T20. Must-pick. |
| Trent Boult | LAKR | Bowler | NZ left-arm swing WIZARD. Powerplay specialist. Swings the new ball both ways. Key LAKR wicket-taker. World-class. |
| Andre Russell | MI NY | All-Rounder | WI POWER machine. Pace bowling + death-overs hitting. Can change any game in 2 overs. Bowling + batting two-way points. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Knight Riders Cricket Ground at Fairplex, Pomona, California. LAKR’s NEW home venue. |
| Pitch Type | DROP-IN pitch. Good BATTING surface. True bounce. Ball comes onto the bat. Short boundaries on one side. Expect runs. MLC pitches have generally favoured batters in Season 4. |
| Scoring | 165–185 competitive. MLC has produced high-scoring matches. Totals of 180+ have been chased. 170+ is the target. Both teams have EXPLOSIVE batting lineups. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE effective early (Boult NZ swing for LAKR; Russell pace for MI NY). SPIN DOMINANT middle overs (Narine mystery spin for MI NY; Bosch for LAKR). Narine’s economy has been MISERLY all MLC. Spin controls the scoring. |
| Toss Factor | Bowl first slightly preferred. California evening conditions suit chasing. Most MLC captains have chosen to field first. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 28–35°C (82–95°F). HOT California Independence Day. |
| Sky | Clear and sunny. Perfect Southern California summer weather. |
| Rain Chance | 0%. ZERO rain in Southern California in July. Full match guaranteed. |
| Humidity | Low (15–25%). Dry heat. No dew expected. Ball carries well in dry conditions. |
| Overall | PERFECT cricket weather. Hot, dry, clear. Independence Day crowd expected. Ball carries in the dry LA air. Full match guaranteed. |
LAKR vs MI NY 20th Match Toss Prediction
Most MLC captains have chosen to field first this season. California evening conditions ease for batting later. The toss winner will likely bowl first and chase.
If LA Knight Riders win, they bowl first. Deploy Boult (NZ left-arm swing) + Shepherd (most economical MLC figures) with the new ball against Narine + Pooran. Then Bosch + Narine-alternative spin through the middle. Restrict MI NY below 165. Then de Kock (explosive opener) + Munro (NZ power) chase. LAKR collapsed 10 for 50 last time. They MUST NOT repeat that.
If Nicholas Pooran (MI NY) wins, he bowls first. Deploy Russell (WI pace) + Holder (WI medium pace AR) with the new ball against de Kock + Munro. Then Narine (mystery spin, miserly economy) through the middle. LAKR collapsed 10 for 50 last time. MI NY’s bowling can trigger another collapse. Restrict LAKR below 155. Then Pooran + Rickelton (SA) + Powell (WI power) chase comfortably. MI NY won from 4th place in 2025 league stage. They PEAK in crunch moments.
Injury and Team News
LA Knight Riders:
LAKR have STRUGGLED this MLC season. Collapsed 10 for 50 vs MI NY in Match 12 after being in a winning position. Colin Munro’s run out sparked the dramatic collapse. Shepherd produced the most economical figures in MLC history in that game but it wasn’t enough.
Also lost to Seattle Orcas (Shanaka masterclass). LAKR’s batters have let down their bowlers. They play at their NEW home ground in Pomona for the first time this fixture. Independence Day crowd could be a BOOST.
MI New York:
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS with 2 MLC titles (2023 + 2025). Pooran rescued MI NY vs LAKR in Match 12 with his batting. He scored 137* in the 2023 MLC final (most destructive knock in MLC history).
MI NY’s West Indian core of Narine + Russell + Holder + Powell makes them the tournament’s MOST FEARED team. Rickelton (SA) adds batting class. MI NY finished 4th in 2025 league stage but STILL won the title. They PEAK when it matters.
