Major League Cricket 2025

MLC 2025: San Francisco Unicorns post 269/5 in record fest at Oakland Coliseum; Finn Allen slams 151 | Cricket News

Danijones23 hours ago05 mins

Finn Allen smashed 151 as San Francisco Unicorns posted 269/5 against the Washington Freedom in the MLC 2025 opener. (Sportzpics) New Zealand opener Finn Allen made history in Major League Cricket’s 2025 season opener, smashing 19 sixes for the San Francisco Unicorns against Washington Freedom at Oakland Coliseum on Thursday. His explosive innings of 150 runs came off just 49 balls, setting multiple records including the fastest 150 in T20 cricket and most sixes in a men’s T20 innings.Allen’s 151 became the highest score in MLC history which is now into its third season. Before reaching the fastest 150, he also collected the record for the fastest MLC century with Unicorns’ eventual 269/5 becoming the biggest total in the league’s history.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Allen’s remarkable performance began after Unicorns lost the toss and batted first. He raced to 40 runs off 14 deliveries in the Powerplay, including five sixes, before reaching his fifty in 20 balls.The 26-year-old Kiwi batter continued his assault, hitting three sixes in an over twice. He reached his fourth T20 century in just 34 deliveries, achieving both the fastest MLC century and the quickest T20 hundred by a New Zealand player.Allen’s record-breaking 19th six came in the 17th over, surpassing the previous record of 18 sixes held jointly by Chris Gayle and Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan. His innings ended in the following over while attempting his 20th six.Most T20 sixes in an innings 19 sixes – Finn Allen (San Franciso Unicorns vs Washington Freedom), 2025 18 sixes- Chris Gayle (Rangpur Riders vs Dynamites), 2017 18 sixes – Sahil Chauhan (Estonia vs Cyprus), 2024 The San Francisco Unicorns, last season’s runners-up, posted 269 for five against the defending champions, setting a new record for the highest men’s T20 total in MLC history.Allen’s career statistics showcase his aggressive batting style. He has scored over 4,100 T20 runs in 151 innings with a striking rate of 173.27, the highest among batters with minimum 1,000 runs.In January 2024, Allen had broken another record when he scored 137 runs off 62 balls against Pakistan in a T20I match, surpassing Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand record. During that innings, he hit 16 sixes, matching Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai’s record for most sixes in a T20I innings.His T20I strike rate of 163.27 stands as the best among all New Zealand batters, further cementing his reputation as an explosive opener.Highest scores in MLC history 151 – Finn Allen (San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom), 2025 137* – Nicholas Pooran (MI New York vs Seaatle Orcas), 2023 110* – Heinrich Klaasen (Seattle Orcas vs MI New York), 2023 103* – Ryan Rickelton (Seattle Orcas vs LA Knight Riders), 2024 101 – Finn Allen (San Francisco Unicorns vs Texas Super Kings), 2024 Highest team score in MLC history 269/5 – San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom, 2025 215/5 – San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York, 2023 212/7 – San Francisco Unicorns vs LA Knight Riders, 2023 207/5 – Washington Freedom vs San Francisco Unicorns, 2024 206/5 – Washington Freedom vs Texas Super Kings, 2024

MLC 2025: Full list of captains for all six franchises this season | Cricket News

Danijones2 days ago03 mins

MLC 2025: Captains of All Six Teams As the third season of Major League Cricket kicks off, all six franchises have confirmed their captains for MLC 2025.Jason Holder will lead the Los Angeles Knight Riders, bringing with him plenty of international experience as a former West Indies captain. However, Holder will miss the first two matches due to international duty, with Sunil Narine stepping in as stand-in captain until Holder joins the squad on 17 June for their match against Washington Freedom.Nicholas Pooran, who just retired from all international formats, has taken over the captaincy at MI New York, replacing Kieron Pollard. MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost Washington Freedom will be led by Glenn Maxwell this season. The Australian all-rounder takes over from Steve Smith, who led the team to the title last year alongside head coach Ricky Ponting.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Corey Anderson, who now plays for the USA after representing New Zealand earlier in his career, will continue as the captain of San Francisco Unicorns, making him the only US-based player leading a team in MLC. Heinrich Klaasen will stay on as skipper of the Seattle Orcas, providing continuity for the franchise. Lastly, Faf du Plessis remains in charge of the Texas Super Kings, continuing his leadership role from previous seasons.Major League Cricket 2025 begins today, 12 June, and will run until the final on 13 July. The tournament will be played across three venues: Dallas, Oakland, and Florida. With six teams competing and fan interest growing, this year’s edition promises plenty of exciting cricket.MLC Captains Sunil Narine will captain LAKR for the first two matches in Jason Holder’s absence. Steve Smith, who had captained the Freedom last season, will take over the role during the two matches he will play for the franchise later in the season.