Top 5 knocks of MLC 2023 ft. Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen

The inaugural season of the Major League Cricket (MLC 2023) concluded with the Mumbai Indians New York beating the Seattle Orcas in the final which was held in Dallas. A Nicholas Pooran special helped MINY cross the line and lift the trophy.

Batting first, the Orcas scored 183 thanks to an 87-run knock from Quinton de Kock. In the chase, MINY didn't start well but Pooran's splendid 137 turned out to be decisive.

It was a game fitting of a final for a league which was a massive success despite the apprehension people had about it. Throughout the tournament, there was some high-quality cricket on show as all five teams had star-studded line-ups.

The batters made a huge impact in MLC 2023 as there were some knocks that left fans and pundits awestruck. Here's a look at the top five batting performances of MLC 2023:

#5 Rilee Rossouw (78* vs Seattle Orcas)

In the 12th game of MLC 2023, the Los Angeles Knight Riders were up against the Seattle Orcas. The Orcas, batting first, put up a score of 170 on the board thanks to a half-century by Shehan Jayasuriya. In response, LAKR got off to a horrendous start as they lost four wickets with just 22 runs on the board.

Rilee Rossouw then stepped up for his side as he notched up a wonderful 78 off just 38 balls with the help of seven maximums. Andre Russell was the only other batter who got going and he too, didn't have a great strike-rate. Rossouw's knock helped LAKR get the better of the Orcas with five deliveries to spare.

It was a crucial knock as it helped LAKR win their first and last game in what was an otherwise gloomy season.

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#4 Quinton de Kock (88* vs TSK)

Quinton de Kock played a classy innings in the Qualifier between the Seattle Orcas and the Texas Super Kings. The Orcas reduced TSK to a small total of 126 following which De Kock ensured that his team chased the score down without any hiccups.

De Kock scored an unbeaten 88 off just 50 deliveries with the help of 10 boundaries and four sixes. He took the attack to the opposition and never allowed them to sneak into the game. The wicketkeeper-batter's glorious innings helped the Orcas become the first team to qualify for the Final.

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#3 Quinton de Kock (87 vs MINY, Final)

Nicholas Pooran played a gem of an innings in the final which made us forget that Quinton de Kock also put up a superb performance in the big match. Batting first, the Seattle Orcas batters had a tough time, except three of them with one being De Kock.

He scored an important 87 as he helped his team post a more than formidable total of 183 runs. The South African saw many of his partners perish but he held his nerve on the big stage. His innings included four sixes and nine boundaries and could have been a match-winning one but Pooran had other plans.

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#2 Heinrich Klassen (110* vs MINY)

Heinrich Klassen came to MLC 2023 having already lit up the SA20 and IPL earlier this year. He maintained his stunning form as he plundered a magnificent century against MINY in the 15th and final game of the league stage.

Klassen's side Seattle Orcas required 195 to win but lost two early wickets which put MINY in the driver's seat. Klassen then took matters into his own hands as he scored an unbeaten 110 at an astonishing strike-rate of 250. He shared an important partnership with Nauman Anwar during the innings.

His brilliance helped the Orcas cross the finish line by two wickets and he was quite deservingly, adjudged the player of the match.

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#1 Nicholas Pooran (137* vs Seattle Orcas, Final)

Nicholas Pooran saved the best innings of the tournament for the last and most important game of MLC 2023. In the final, MINY had to chase down a score of 184. However, they got off to a terrible start as they lost a wicket off the third delivery of the innings.

Pooran, the stand-in-captain then played a once-in-a-lifetime innings to take his side home. He smashed an unbeaten 137 off just 55 deliveries at a sensational strike-rate of 249.09. He smacked 13 sixes during the course of his innings as he single-handedly demolished the Seattle Orcas.

The next highest score for MINY was 20 which just goes to show how brutal and phenomenal Pooran was. His knock helped MINY win the game with four overs to spare which was again, simply unbelievable.