13th match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 An absolute classic presented on June 27, 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum. In a game that will go down in cricket folklore, washington independence achieved a breathtaking victory by one wicket on the last ball of the match against Texas Super Kings (TSK)Made a spectacular late-game hat-trick completely meaningless.
Nikhil Choudhary leads Washington Freedom to victory as Akeal Hossein’s hat-trick goes in vain
Chasing a challenging target of 186, Washington Freedom received heavy support before being chased down in a chaotic final over. Akil Hossein. With Washington needing only 6 runs off the last 6 balls, Hosein produced a brilliant bowling line-up that almost worked a miracle for Texas.
After a dot ball on the first ball, Hosein created a stir in the stadium. On 19.2 they removed Marco Jansson (9)Who holed it at deep square leg. The very next ball, Amila Aponso Glory went for the shot and was caught at deep square. When tensions were at their peak, Hossein cheated Asif Mahmood at 19.4, resulting in a quick stumping Saiteja Mukkamalla.
Hosein had achieved a sensational hat-trick by taking the score from 180/6 to 180/9 in three balls. However, Nikhil Chaudhary Stuck at the non-striker’s end and watching the collapse. after lockie ferguson Got a leg bye on the fifth ball, Choudhary finally got his chance with 5 runs needed on the last ball. Choudhary showed courage by smashing a looped-up delivery from Hosein over midwicket for a six, prompting a wild celebration in the Washington dugout.
Here is the video:
You couldn’t ask for a better end to the match‼️ Things were looking bleak for Washington Freedom after Akeal Hossein got his first hat-trick in MLC history, but newbie Nikhil Choudhary proved his mettle and took WF over the line for a thrilling last-ball win – and all on his debut. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/er8Qp3zoPe
– Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) 28 June 2026
Washington Freedom ahead of TSK in MLC 2026
Earlier in the day, Texas Super Kings posted a strong score of 185/4 after being invited to bat. captain Faf du Plessis Fell early for just 8 runs, but helped by a steady top-order rebuilding job Mukkamalla (37) and Riley Rossouw (34) Set a baseline. The real fireworks came from the lower-middle order. vian mulder (43* off 20) and Donovan Ferreira (44* off 20) put together an unbeaten 75-run partnership, punishing Washington’s bowlers in the death overs. Choudhary was the pick of the bowlers for Freedom, delivering highly disciplined figures of 2/29 from his 4 overs.
In reply, Washington had a great start in chasing the target. Michelle Owen Played a sensational inning of 77 runs in just 35 balls, which included 6 sixes, along with 30 consecutive runs from the captain. steven smith. Their opening partnership of 91 runs in 8 overs put Freedom in a strong position.
Despite the middle order faltering against TSK’s bowling unit, Hossein’s final over heroics (4/36) led the way and adam milneTight 2/31—Choudhary’s calculated composure proved to be the ultimate difference. Choudhary, who scored unbeaten 27* off 19 balls along with his two wickets, was awarded the Player of the Match award.
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