MI London vs Manchester Super Giants, 18th Match, The Hundred Men's Competition 2026 - CommentaryMIL vs MSG, 18th Match, The Hundred Men's Competition 2026 - Commentary

That wraps up our double-header weekend. We are back to single-header action for the next couple of days. Welsh Fire take on Southern Brave in Cardiff tomorrow, so do remember to tune in for that game. Until then, cheers and goodbye!!

Sam Curran 3/3: [On Ollie Pope, squad flexibility and replacing Rashid Khan] I think we’re pretty happy with where we are. That’s the luxury of having so many all-rounders. We can be really flexible. Everyone has different opinions about needing players to see off the new ball, but Popey’s such a quality player that if we’re 24 for 3, you can send him in because he’s a Test-quality batter. Sometimes you hold your best hitters back and suddenly 27 or 28 balls have gone, leaving only 70 balls. My theory in this format is to get your best top six in and hope one of them goes big. I think the cameos also go under the radar. Today Jacks got the big score, Vincey got a 20, I got a 20, and Nikki got a 50. Because the game moves so quickly, those contributions are really valuable. We’re happy with the side we’ve got, although we will definitely miss Rash. I’m also really excited for someone like Sowter to show his quality because he’s been here five or six years and often goes under the radar. He’s a brilliant fielder as well and takes some outstanding catches.

Sam Curran 2/2: [On whether Rashid becomes even more dangerous defending a big total] Absolutely. With a bigger score on the board, the batters have to take risks against him. It was a little gamble bowling him to that left-hander first up, but the wind was actually blowing towards the bigger side today, so the ground felt quite even. But he’s pure class, and we will definitely miss him. [On the batting plans and Nicholas Pooran’s role] Yeah, just clinical. Jacks and Vincey have done such an amazing job at the top, and we’ve become really comfortable with that combination now. We know how we want to play. We were a little disappointed not to finish even stronger, but winning by 45 runs is really important because of net run rate. It feels like everyone’s beating everyone in this tournament, which is great, and it looks like it will go right down to the wire. [On his fitness after not bowling] No, I obviously missed the last game and just wanted to get through batting today. Hopefully I will be back fully fit on Thursday. It’s such a short tournament and today felt like a really big game. I didn’t want to miss it, especially with so much still to play for this summer. I’m feeling good, it’s just that my body is a little sore. More than anything, I’m pleased with the win because it takes a bit of pressure off me not bowling. [On the team’s energy and celebrations] I said to the boys before the game that this is our ground. We’ve been champions for the last few years, so let’s turn up with a bit of fight and a bit of guts. I thought we did that today. It felt like the crowd really got behind us, and that’s what this tournament is all about. It’s a big win because we’re off to Lord’s on Thursday. They beat us the other day, so we will be looking to get one back.

Sam Curran | MI London skipper: [On the team’s all-round performance] Pretty pleased, I guess. We felt that the other day, batting first on the same wicket, we were probably 15-20 runs short. I thought the way Jacks played today was outstanding. He’s had those kinds of innings this season without really kicking on, but today he really fired. Vincey (Vince) again might not be getting the big scores, but he takes the shine off the new ball, and then Nikki (Pooran) and myself come in with the licence to attack from ball one. The left-right combination really suits us here with the short side. I also thought our bowling was absolutely clinical because they’ve got such a powerful batting line-up. We felt if we could get through the powerplay as well as possible, we’d be in the game, and then Rashid Khan showed why he’s the best in the business. [On Rashid Khan’s impact and his departure for international duty] We are going to miss him. He’s a global superstar. I didn’t even realise he’d taken five wickets until it came up on the screen, which just shows how quietly he goes about his business. He knows these batters so well, and he kept taking the big wickets. But it’s also an exciting time because Sowter played today, bowled his four overs and kind of went under the radar. Now he will have a big responsibility as our frontline spinner.

Rashid Khan 2/2: [On whether batters are approaching him differently now] Well, to be honest, I don’t really think about those things. My job is to keep hitting the right areas consistently and try to improve my bowling every day. I keep working in the nets, trying new deliveries and making myself more effective and consistent with my line and length. I’ve never really thought about what batters are planning against me. That’s not something I can control. My job stays the same - hit the right areas consistently, and things will be fine. [On leaving The Hundred for international duty] Yeah, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. Every year I come here, I usually play half of The Hundred, but national duty always comes first. I’ve had a great time over the last two or three weeks. I’m heading back tonight to Ireland for the ODI series, and it will be nice to go there with some confidence after taking a five-for. Hopefully it will help me in those games as well.

Rashid Khan | Match Hero: [On his match-winning figures of 5 for 17] I think I needed that. It had been a bit of a quiet tournament for me overall, but I just tried my best to keep things simple, hit the right areas consistently, and yeah, got the results. [On whether having 183 on the board allowed him to attack more] Yes, it does make a difference when you have good runs on the board. But still, I feel the most important thing is hitting the right areas consistently and making it as hard as possible for the batter. That’s how you get help from the wicket. When you have runs on the board and hit the right areas consistently, you’re always in the game. If you keep it simple and bowl in the right areas, you will get the rewards. [On changing the game after the opposition’s strong start] They had a brilliant start. When a team starts well, 180 or 190 becomes much easier to chase. But we always believed that if we could get a couple of quick wickets, we’d be right back in the game. I think that was the turning point and it brought us back into the match. [On playing at The Oval] Yeah, it means a lot. It’s always a huge pleasure. Last year was my first time playing for Oval Invincibles here in England. I feel it’s a wonderful place to be, and I’m lucky to be part of this team. I always enjoy the crowd and the support they give us. It’s a huge pleasure to play at this ground, and I always enjoy my cricket here.

20:50 local, 19:50 GMT, 01:20 IST: Aiden Markram threatened to make a contest of it with a sparkling half-century after Tim Seifert gave the chase early momentum, but MI London never allowed the game to drift away. Right after the powerplay, the home team pulled things back and kept picking wickets at regular intervals. The wickets of Buttler and the well-set Markram in quick succession proved to be a body blow as Rashid Khan notched up his best ever figures in the Hundred with a five-for. They just never recovered after those couple of big wickets and a massive credit must also go to the MI London boys for the way they operated with the ball. They mixed their lengths really well, varied the pace and Sam Curran did a fine job by maximizing his spin options and choking the opponents with excellent catching and ground fielding. A much-needed win for the hosts after failing to defend 165 against the Spirit in their last game. Stick around for the post-match reactions...

Trent Boult to Sonny Baker, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

The MI London are behind on the over rate and an extra fielder has to be added inside the circle

Richard Gleeson to Gus Atkinson, THATS OUT!! Caught!!