Play-Offs Get Underway in the 2025 MLC as Freedom Faces Super Kings

The group stage is over, and Major League Cricket has entered its Playoff stage. Washington Freedom and Texas Super Kings managed to get the top spots in the table, meaning they now have a second chance to qualify for the Final. They will face off today in Qualifier 1 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. This will be the second encounter between the two teams this season, with the Super Kings defeating Freedom by 43 runs in the first one.

Both teams played excellent cricket throughout their group campaign. Texas Super Kings finished second on the table with seven wins in ten games. Washington Freedom topped the group, winning eight of their ten games. Both sides will be eager to reach the Final without having to play Qualifier 2.

Players to Watch

Batters

Faf du Plessis
The Super Kings skipper is having one of the best franchise seasons of his career. He is the main performer with the bat for TSK, leading the team in the runs column. He has scored 409 runs in nine innings at an average of 51.12. He has also scored two centuries in the tournament and will be the key figure in TSK’s run in the playoffs.

Mitchell Owen
Owen has been on another level in his first season in MLC. With match-winning performances with both ball and bat, Owen is almost certain to clinch the Player of the Tournament honor. With the bat, Owen has scored 313 runs in ten games at an impressive strike rate of 195.62. In bowling, he has taken 14 wickets at an average of 17.92.

Bowlers

Adam Milne
Adam Milne has been one of the best bowlers this season in MLC, taking 15 wickets in five games at an economy of 6.67. He is the leading wicket-taker for his team and third in the tournament. His wicket-taking ability will be vital for his team’s success in the playoffs.

Glenn Maxwell
Freedom’s skipper has been outstanding with both ball and bat this season. His bowling in the past two games has been phenomenal, dismantling opposing teams’ top order early. He has taken nine wickets this season at an average of 15.33, while with the bat, he has scored 237 at an average of 33.85 and a strike rate of 185.

TSK vs. WSF Probable XIs

Texas Super Kings: Smit Patel (wk), Faf du Plessis (c), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Marcus Stoinis, Shubham Ranjane, Donovan Ferreira, Calvin Savage, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Zia-ul-Haq, Adam Milne
Washington Freedom: Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous (wk), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Glenn Maxwell (c), Mukhtar Ahmed, Jack Edwards, Obus Pienaar, Ian Holland, Saurabh Netravalkar

My Fantasy XI

Faf du Plessis, Mitchell Owen (vc), Rachin Ravindra, Marcus Stoinis, Shubham Ranjane, Glenn Phillips, Glenn Maxwell (c), Donovan Ferreira, Noor Ahmad, Adam Milne, Jack Edwards.