MLC Preview | TSK and LAKR prepare to make playoffs case as table begins to take shape

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Texas Super Kings are in decent position to make the playoffs in MLC 2025

Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders will have one eye on the playoff race when they take to the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Wednesday as MLC'25 reaches its halfway stage. TSK are currently third with three wins from five games while LAKR are fifth, having won one and lost three.

Sister franchises of two highly successful Indian Premier League franchises, both Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders are yet to taste glory in Major League Cricket. The Yellow Army has fared better, finishing third in both the previous seasons, while the Purple and Gold Brigade have failed to even make the playoffs as they finished last in 2023 and second from bottom in the previous season.

The ongoing season has not played out much differently either for the two teams, with TSK once again stationed in third while LAKR currently find themselves outside the playoff spaces. However, the latter will enter the contest in high spirits having finally opened their account for the season in the previous game against Seattle Orcas by chasing down a target of 178 with 10 balls to spare. The Super Kings, on the other hand, have endured two big losses back to back with the opposition chasing down 200 and above on both occassions. The bowling continues to be a problem for the unit, despite the presence of names such as Noor Ahmed and Nandre Burger, the latter conceding 42 runs in the Freedom's chase of 223 without any scalps to show for it. All said and done, the tournament has shown a propensity for close high scoring contests, and the toss might as well play the decisivie role come Tuesday given the successful record of teams when batting second at the venue.

Form Guide

TSK: L L W W W

LAKR: W L L L L

TSK vs LAKR Head to head in T20s

The two teams have already faced each other once this season, with Texas running out winners by 57 runs in Oakland. A string of cameos had taken TSK to an imposing total of 181/4 before Noor Ahmad ran through the Knight Riders' batting order, ending with imperious figures of 4/25. However, the only other meeeting between these two teams had resulted in LAKR's favour, the side eking out a 12-run victory by defending 162 on the back of Ali Khan's four-wicket haul.

TSK 1-1 LAKR

Pitch and Weather

The Grand Praire Stadium in Dallas has proven a batting haven so far in Major League Cricket 2025, with an average first innings score of 206 across the six games played at the venue this season. San Francisco Unicorns and Texas Super Kings have set the second and third highest totals in the tournament's history (246/4 and 220/6 respectively) in the last two outings in Dallas, albeit the latter score was chased down by Washington Freedom. In fact, Texas' win was the first this year by a team batting first at the venue.

Team News

Texas Super Kings made two changes in their previous game with Devon Conway being dropped in favour of the lower-order hitting of Donovan Fereira and repalcing Zia-ul-Haq with Nandre Burger. Even though the duo failed to make an impact in their maiden outing, the management is likely to keep faith and field the same XI.

Los Angeles Knight Riders are likely to make just one change with Sunil Narine slotting back in for Sherfane Rutherford after missing the previous game with an injury.

TSK Probable XI: Smit Patel (wk), Faf du Plessis (c), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Marcus Stoinis, Daryl Mitchell, Calvin Savage, Donovan Ferreira, Noor Ahmad, Nandre Burger, Mohammad Mohsin, Adam Milne

LAKR Probable XI: Alex Hales, Sunil Narine, Unmukt Chand (wk), Saif Badar, Rovman Powell, Nitish Kumar, Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Shadley van Schalwyk, Corne Dry, Tanveer Sangha