Picking a combined San Francisco Unicorns-MI New York playing 11 for MLC 2024 ft. Pat Cummins, Rashid Khan
The second edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC) is underway with the first game of the tournament being played on July 5, Friday.
MI New York beat Seattle Orcas by six wickets in the opening game of MLC 2024 at Morrisville. The tournament's inaugural edition saw MI New York lift the trophy, to be crowned the first champions.
They handed Seattle Orcas a seven-wicket defeat in the final last year. Bowling first, they restricted Seattle to 183 for the loss of nine wickets. Nicholas Pooran played a blinder of an innings in the chase, as MI New York got home in just 16 overs to seal a comfortable victory.
The defending champions began their title defense on a positive note with their win over Seattle in the opening game this year.
On the other hand, San Francisco Unicorns could not make it to the knockout stages last season. They finished fifth with just two wins and three defeats from five games.
However, one of their two wins in MLC 2023 came against MI New York as they defeated them by 22 runs. San Franciso Unicorns are set to begin their campaign this season against the Los Angeles Knight Riders on Monday, July 8.
Both these sides will face each other in the 16th game this season, which will take place on July 19. Here is a combined XI of the two sides for MLC 2024.
San Francisco Unicorns-MI New York combined playing 11 for MLC 2024
Openers: Fin Allen, Steven Taylor
Kiwi batter Fin Allen would be one of the openers in this combined line-up. Allen is known for his explosive batting at the top. He did not not a good outing during MLC 2023. However, Allen has scored 1141 runs from 44 T20Is so far at a strike-rate of 158.69. His numbers of 3238 runs from 117 T20s at an impressive strike rate of 166.99 make him a solid choice upfront.
USA's Steven Taylor is one of the rare batters from associate nations who is capable of destructive power hitting and would partner Fin Allen at the top. He did not have a successful T20 World Cup with the bat. However, Taylor has 1434 runs in 63 T20s with a high score of an unbeaten 101.
Middle-order & All-rounders: Monank Patel (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Sunny Patel, Corey Anderson
MI New York's Monank Patel would bring some stability to this batting line-up. The co-hosts USA had a T20 World Cup campaign to remember and Monank played a crucial knock against Pakistan, where he scored a composed half-century that helped his side get close to the target and take the game to the super-over, which they won eventually. He would also be the keeper-batter in the side.
Nicholas Pooran is an automatic choice in this XI. He was the highest run-getter in MLC 2023, scoring 388 runs from eight innings at a strike-rate of 167.24. He played a massive role in MI New York lifting the title, as he also hammered an unbeaten 137 in the final.
His country-mate and a celebrated all-rounder, Kieron Pollard of MI New York brings immense experience to the side, particularly in this format of the game. Pollard has played all around the globe, amassing 12908 runs and picking up 318 wickets in T20s.
USA's duo of Sunny Patel and Corey Anderson are also the other all-rounders in this combined XI. Patel could prove to be a useful option with the bat, with the ability to bowl some leg-break as well.
Former Kiwi International, Corey Anderson had a decent season for San Francisco last year, where he scored 190 runs with an average of 47.50 and a healthy strike rate of 145.03, including an unbeaten knock of 91. While he may seem to have passed his prime, he could still prove to be useful with his ability to chip in a few overs as well.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Nosthush Kenjige, Pat Cummins
Rashid Khan is an absolute no-brainer in any T20 team across the globe. He would be the lead spinner of the combined XI. Rashid was at his best for Afghanistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup, picking up 14 wickets as they made it to the semi-finals. He also brings more value to the side as his batting exploits at the backend are known to all.
MI New York pacer Trent Boult was the leading wicket-taker in MLC 2023 with 22 scalps from eight innings, contributing majorly to their success. He picked up 16 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2024 season as well. Boult's ability to pick wickets upfront and at the death makes him lethal with the ball.
Nosthush Kenjige's spell of 3/30 against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2024 gave a glimpse of his potential. The left-arm spinner had the best economy rate (5.74) during MLC 2023. He could play the role of a second spinner in the combined XI, partnering with Rashid Khan.
The final player in this combined team would be Pat Cummins. Cummins was Australia's third-highest wicket-taker at the T20 World Cup. He would also lead this side, as he is a proven captain, having achieved success for Australia as well as leading Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to the IPL 2024 final.
Cummins and Boult in tandem with the new ball will definitely pose a massive threat to any opposition in the world.