The 2025 season of Major League Cricket has concluded with MI New York as the champion side, and Washington Freedom finished the campaign as the second-best team of MLC 2025. Along with the trophy for the champions, there were several other trophies in the tournament, like the most valuable player of the series, leading run scorer, leading wicket taker, etc. Through this content, we’ll derive which player won which award.

Full list of trophy winners of MLC 2025:

Under 23 Player of the tournament: This trophy deserved none other than MI New York talent Rushil Ugarkar. The amount of hard work he did, and then the outcome: the young pacer got the award as the most deserving candidate. In MLC 2025 with MINY, the U23 claimed 10 wickets in 8 matches with an economy rate of 9.05. Rushil also got the man of the match award for his impactful bowling in the final versus Washington Freedom.

Domestic player of the tournament: One of the main reasons to organize these kinds of franchise leagues is to offer a stage for local talents. Bart King, another MI New York player, finished out the season in style. His credibility in batting became an asset for the MI franchise. In MLC 2025, the emerging cricketer amassed a whopping 478 runs for the brigade in blue.

Read More: 'Hey Dwayne Bravo...'- Kieron Pollard addresses his friend after winning MLC 2025 with MINY

Leading wicket taker: The Australian right-arm fast-medium emerged as the leading wicket taker of the season. The San Francisco Unicorn bowler bagged a total of 18 scalps in MLC 2025, including a 4/28 bowling figure. The pacer was able to keep his economy rate (8.86) low as well in the process.

Leading run scorer: Another exciting category to take a look at. Surpassing Faf du Plessis, MINY batter Monank Patel became the leading run getter of the tournament. Throughout the tournament, his dominating batting claimed a total of 478 runs for the MLC 2025 season and became one of the main reasons behind MINY’s triumph.

MVP of the series: Here comes the most valuable performer of the series, and it goes to Mitchell Owen. The Washington Freedom all-rounder showed his brilliant all-round skills during MLC 2025. The Australian cricketer wrapped the season with 14 wickets and 313 runs to his name.

It was during a practice game between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans (MI) when Rohit Sharma asked a young Rushil Ugarkar, the 22-year-old, who came as the support bowler for the Mumbai Indians, to set the field for Virat Kohli from the television screen. The youngster felt that the veteran batter would perhaps get out at long leg, and guess what, two balls later, it happened exactly.

Later, Rohit Sharma broke down Phil Salt’s game plan to Rushil Ugarkar in a 15-minute session in detail, and that brought the cricketing brain of the right-arm pacer into the light. He was delivered by one of the best captains of the shortest format. Ugarkar warmed up well with a five-run penultimate over against the Washington Freedom before the start of the season.

See Also: [WATCH] Rushil Ugarkar defends 12 runs in final over to win MLC 2025 for MI New York

The method was excellent for the 22-year-old, who set a 6-3 field, which shows his belief in the plan and execution of it. He has the wish to bowl fast, but what stands out for any player in world cricket is how they keep their ego aside, as Ugarkar did against the LA Knight Riders when he went with the slower deliveries.

Who is Rushil Ugarkar? The 22-year-old winged under Rohit Sharma’s guidance

After being smashed for a boundary off the very first ball, Ugarkar had enough game plan for the Knight Riders’ contest. He pulled back the pace to 110s in the next 20 balls of the spell and kept nagging the off-cutters besides the variations to fox the powerful international batters like Sherfane Rutherford. During a game when Shimron Hetmyer smashed 97* in a chase of 238, the spring chicken ended with 1/29.

22 Year Old Rushil Ugarkar defended 12 runs in the Final over against Maxwell and Phillips. 🔥pic.twitter.com/RIGojIZJiB

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 14, 2025

Ugarkar, born in St. Louis in Missouri, has featured in only 10 MLC 2025 games this season and has no international experience as of now. He finished this edition with 11 wickets at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of just under 18 with an economy rate of 8.49, thanks to the bowling figure of 3/19 in an innings.

He had a huge job of defending 12 runs in the final over of the season against Glenn Maxwell and Glenn Phillips. Any young bowler could easily get exposed against two veteran international campaigners, but that wasn’t the case with Rushil, who also dismissed the Australian batter and scripted a five-run victory for the New York side.  

It was such a strange edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC) where, despite winning just three games in the group stage of the tournament, the MI New York lifted the trophy of the 2025 season. The 22-year-old Rushil Ugarkar got the opportunity to write history for himself and the franchise against two incredible veteran international batters, Glenn Maxwell and Glenn Phillips. 

Coming into the last over of the MLC 2025 final, the pressure was incredible on the young fast bowler, who, however, had the guidance of the two experienced bowlers, Trent Boult in the field and Lasith Malinga from the coaching dugout. The first couple of balls leaked just two singles, which brought calmness to his procedure.

See Also: ‘No one does better than…’- Nasser Hussain Lauds star Indian player during ENG vs IND 3rd Test at Lord’s

The third delivery of the over saw the batter make a wild swing in the big leg side, but Maxwell missed as the ball rolled onto the wicket-keeper’s hands. On the fourth delivery of the over, the Australian batter couldn’t time the slower ball and found the deep mid-wicket fielder. The final ball of the over went for a boundary, but it didn’t matter to anyone as the MI New York scripted a five-run victory to lift the title.

[WATCH] Rushil Ugarkar bowls superb final over to win MLC 2025 for MI New York

New York came into the game with a four-match losing streak against the Washington Freedom, who won the toss and decided to bowl first. Quinton de Kock smashed a fine 77-run knock in 46 deliveries with the help of six boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of nearly 170. However, none of the other batters could step up in the crisis period. 

22 Year Old Rushil Ugarkar defended 12 runs in the Final over against Maxwell and Phillips. 🔥pic.twitter.com/RIGojIZJiB

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 14, 2025

Later, it was Kunwarjeet Singh, who remained unbeaten on 22 runs in 13 balls, to shoulder the New York side to 180/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Lockie Ferguson finished with a fine spell of 3/21 in his four overs, thanks to an economy rate of 5.2.

Rachin Ravindra was the lone fighter in the chase among the top three with his 70 runs in 41 balls, thanks to a strike rate of 170.73. Jack Edwards drilled 33 runs in 22 balls at a strike rate of 150. The hope was on Phillips and Maxwell to pull the chase off, but they failed and fell short of the chase by five runs.

The MI New York create history at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas by lifting their maiden Major League Cricket (MLC) title by defeating Washington Freedom on Sunday. The Mumbai-origin Rushil Ugarkar emerged as the true hero for MINY and was adjudged Player of the Match (POTM) for his tight bowling at the death. 

Tasked with defending 12 in the final over against the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Glenn Phillips, the 22-year-old youngster showcased an immense degree of resilience to overcome some of the best power hitters in world cricket. In his first three balls, Ugarkar conceded only two runs as both Maxwell and Phillips struggled to lineup his slower deliveries. 

With 10 needed of three, Maxwell ran out of patience and eventually gave away his wicket by holing out to the fielder at deep mid wicket. By that point, the game was nearly decided in favor of MINY. But Ugarkar and his men were still not out of the woods as Pienaar made it to the middle. Ugarkar's next two deliveries were also slower balls, with only one of them getting dispatched to the boundary for a four. 

See also: MLC 2025, Final: MI New York vs Washington Freedom full match highlights

Watch the winning moment:

22 Year Old Rushil Ugarkar defended 12 runs in the Final over against Maxwell and Phillips. 🔥pic.twitter.com/RIGojIZJiB

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 14, 2025

Decoding the rise of MI New York in MLC 2025

Unlike the San Francisco Unicorns or Washington Freedom, the MI New York had far from an ideal start. Their journey had its fair share of highs and lows, and the franchise had to endure a topsy-turvy ride throughout the entirety of the league stage. With just one win in seven games, many experts predicted an exit for them. 

But it all changed when they took on the Knight Riders towards the end of the league stage. Two consecutive wins against them put them back on track momentarily. Their misery finally came to an end when the Seattle Orcas, who seemed to be in contention for the fourth spot, lost to the Super Kings by 51 runs, thus putting them marginally ahead of the Orcas in terms of NRR.

After narrowly getting away with a fourth spot qualification, MINY did not hesitate to look back and made every opportunity count. Trent Boult became an unlikely hero in the Eliminator clash against the Unicorns and starred with both the bat and the ball. At a time when defeat seemed evident, Boult slammed an unbeaten 22 out of nowhere to help MINY prevail in a low-scoring run chase. And then in the Qualifier 2 game, Pooran and Pollard put on a show in the final four overs to snatch victory from the Super Kings in emphatic style. 

Rushil Ugarkar's rise came at a vital time for the franchise. The 23-year-old peaked at the right time and finished as the third-highest wicket-taker for his franchise, claiming 11 wickets at a healthy average of 24. Besides, the youngster has openly credited his success to the former Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who played a key role in helping him sharpen his cricketing IQ during the IPL 2025 season. 

The Final match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 between MI New York (NY) and Washington Freedom (WAS) will be held at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas, at 5:30 AM IST on Monday, July 14, 2025. MI New York, led by Nicholas Pooran, enters the contest after defeating the San Francisco Unicorns and Texas Super Kings in successive knockout matches, with four wins out of twelve matches, and aims to reclaim the title they won in the inaugural 2023 season. Washington Freedom, captained by Glenn Maxwell, finished atop the league table and advanced directly to the final for the second consecutive year with eight wins out of twelve matches, seeking to defend their 2024 triumph. The winner will lift the MLC 2025 title, marking a historic rematch between the two previous champions.

This morning match will provide thrilling T20 cricket to a crazy crowd as the MLC plays its Dallas leg. WAS has a favorable head-to-head record; however, NY is eager to turn the tables. The turf pitch, offering tricky conditions with the ball holding up and coming slowly, will greatly favor bowling early on, with winning the toss and choosing to bowl first a smart move to limit the opposition before conditions ease later.

Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium Stats

The pitch at Grand Prairie Stadium is expected to be tougher for the bowlers. The teams have been able to cross the 200-run mark on a consistent basis, and it is expected to be the same in the upcoming game. The team winning the toss will look to bowl first at this venue, as tricky conditions early on make batting difficult before easing later.

• Total Matches: 42
• Matches Won Batting First: 48%
• Matches Won Batting Second: 53%
  
• Average 1st Innings Score: 178
  
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 158
  
• Highest Total: 246/4 by SF vs NY
  
• Lowest Total: 50/10 by LAS vs NY
• Highest Chase: 238/7 by SEA vs NY
  
• Lowest Defended: 181/6 by TEX vs LAS

See Also: [WATCH] 'Main College Ke Samne....' – Suryakumar Yadav reveals how he first met wife Devisha Shetty

NY vs WAS: Head-to-Head Record

MI New York and Washington Freedom have played against each other six times since the initiation of MLC, with WAS winning four and NY two, to make the game very close. These six matches have proved a competitive rivalry between NY and WAS. This seventh meeting at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium is going to be tough and filled with likely surprises.

• Total Matches: 6
  
• NY Wins: 2
  
• WAS Wins: 4
• No Result: 0

Win %: MI New York – 33.33% (2/6), Washington Freedom – 66.67% (4/6)

Mankad dismissals have always been a talking point in the game for the last few years, especially in the shortest format of the game. Since Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Jos Buttler during the IPL 2018 clash between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, it has taken a new route in the game. In MLC 2025, two former CSK and MI players got engaged in the same fashion. 

It was the second qualifier contest between the Texas Super Kings and the MI New York at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, where both teams were fighting hard to get themselves into the final spot. Mumbai came behind the points table and displayed some crazy performances towards the end of the season to get themselves in that scenario.

The incident happened on the third ball of the eighth over in the first innings. Kieron Pollard, the former MI player, was about to deliver his ball. But on his run-up, he stopped before delivering the ball and gave a warning to the Texas captain, Faf du Plessis, who was coming out of his crease.

Watch; Kieron Pollard warns Faf du Plessis of a Mankad dismissal in MLC 2025

Faf was not taking any benefit of the game, given that he was always going to come out of the crease with the momentum of the bowler delivering the ball. But Pollard, the former West Indies, alerted him perhaps to break his rhythm in the contest. And it worked as the batter eventually got dismissed four overs later for 59 runs in 42 balls.

Kieron Pollard gives Faf du Plessis a gentle reminder to stay in his crease! 😂 pic.twitter.com/VvQteBEeCC

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 12, 2025

Winning the toss, the New York captain, Nicholas Pooran decided to bowl first on a surface which helps the batting in the second innings under the lights. Apart from du Plessis, no one got the momentum in the batting order. At one point, they were 85/5 in the 13th over, before Akeal Hosein smashed a fine 55 runs in just 32 balls, besides Donovan Ferreira’s 32 unbeaten runs in 20 balls to take them to 166/5 in their 20 overs.

Mumbai was in the chase from the beginning. Monark Patel drilled 49 runs in 39 balls, while the match turning point was the undefeated 89-run stand between Pollard, who smashed 47 unbeaten runs in 22 balls, and the captain Pooran, who nailed 52* runs in just 36 balls. MI will now face the Washington Freedom in the final of the MLC 2025 on July 14.

The Challenger match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 between Texas Super Kings (TEX) and MI New York (NY) will be held at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas, at 5:30 AM IST on Saturday, July 12, 2025. Texas Super Kings, led by Faf du Plessis, enter the contest after their Qualifier 1 match against Washington Freedom was washed out due to rain, pushing them into the Challenger round, aiming to advance to the final. MI New York, captained by Nicholas Pooran, are coming into the clash with momentum, having secured a thrilling two-wicket win over the San Francisco Unicorns in the Eliminator and seeking to keep their title hopes alive. The winner progresses to the final, while the loser is eliminated.

This morning match will provide thrilling T20 cricket to a crazy crowd as the MLC plays its Dallas leg. With a collocated capacity of 7,000 and lights on, the ground is perfect for today's match. While TEX has a strong head-to-head advantage, NY will be keen to turn the tables. The turf pitch, offering tricky conditions with the ball holding up and coming slowly, will greatly favor bowling early on, with winning the toss and choosing to bowl first a smart move to limit the opposition before conditions ease later.

Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium Stats

The pitch at Grand Prairie Stadium is expected to be tougher for the bowlers. The teams have been able to cross the 200-run mark on a consistent basis, and it is expected to be the same in the upcoming game. The team winning the toss will look to bowl first at this venue, as tricky conditions early on make batting difficult before easing later.

• Total Matches: 41
  
• Matches Won Batting First: 48%
  
• Matches Won Batting Second: 53%
• Average 1st Innings Score: 178
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 158
• Highest Total: 246/4 by SF vs NY
• Lowest Total: 50/10 by LAS vs NY
• Highest Chase: 238/7 by SEA vs NY
• Lowest Defended: 181/6 by TEX vs LAS

See Also: 3 things England need to do right on Day 2 to dominate ENG vs IND 3rd Test at Lord's

TEX vs NY: Head-to-Head Record

Texas Super Kings and MI New York have played against each other six times since the initiation of MLC, with TEX winning five and NY one, to make the game very close. These six matches have proved TEX's dominance over NY. This seventh meeting at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium is going to be tough and filled with likely surprises.

• Total Matches: 6
• TEX Wins: 5
• NY Wins: 1
• No Result: 0
  

Win %: Texas Super Kings – 83.33% (5/6), MI New York – 16.67% (1/6)

MLC 2025 Eliminator: MI New York edge past San Francisco Unicorns in a close match

In a do-or-die clash, MI New York won the toss and chose to bowl first against the San Francisco Unicorns. The Unicorns didn’t get off to a great start and kept losing wickets regularly. Only Xavier Bartlett showed some fight, smashing a quick 44 off 24 balls. Cooper Connolly (23 off 19) and Brody Couch (19 off 18) gave some support, but the rest of the batting didn’t click.

MI New York’s bowlers were disciplined throughout the innings. Rushil Ugarkar stood out with an excellent spell of 3 for 19 in just over three overs. Trent Boult and Nosthush Kenjige chipped in with two wickets each as San Francisco were bowled out for just 131 in 19.1 overs. The chase wasn’t easy for MI either. Quinton de Kock gave a strong start with 33 from 24 balls, and Monank Patel added another 33 off 32, openers gave their start. But things got tense in the middle when they lost quick wickets and the game suddenly opened up.

San Francisco’s Hassan Khan bowled beautifully, taking 4 wickets for 30 runs. Matthew Short also kept things tight, picking up 3 for 22. But just when things looked tough for MI, Trent Boult stepped up once again this time with the bat hitting a valuable 22 off 13 balls to take his team home.

MI New York finished at 132 for 8 in 19.3 overs and won the match by 2 wickets in the very crucial game. With this thrilling win, MI New York moved into the Challenger and kept their hopes alive in the tournament. Sadly for San Francisco Unicorns, their season ended here, despite a strong run in the league stage.

ALSO READ: MLC 2025, Eliminator: San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York full match highlights

Twitter reactions after MINY wins Eliminator match of MLC 2025

Lmao MINY cooked SFU 😭🤣🤣🤣

So far the best team of tournament got bundled out by a tema that won only 3 games out of 10 😭😭#MLC2025 #MLC pic.twitter.com/37umFgCDbA

— Navneet 🚩 (@MSDian067) July 10, 2025

4 wickets inside the PP
MINY unleashed their prime form in Knock Outs#MLC2025 #MLC pic.twitter.com/y2rjTww8vL

— Mumbai Indians FC (@MIPaltanFamily) July 10, 2025

MINY infact Trent Boult pulled off a absolute stunner.

MI NY survive absolute collapse and heading to Qualifier 2.#MLC2025 pic.twitter.com/OxQZMeIPY8

— SRG (@TweetbySRG) July 10, 2025

✅ MINY win in a thriller and qualify for the challenger!

📺 Watch live and exclusive on https://t.co/BzgRU9yN35#SFUvMINY | #MajorLeagueCricket|#MLC pic.twitter.com/cemVXDSJHs

— Willow TV US (@willowtv) July 10, 2025

MINY was 8 wicket gone and they need 21 off 12 still won , Boult won for MINY he smashed 2 six to hasan khan and MINY won in eliminator 💔 pic.twitter.com/fsiE7UaF66

— Satyajit (@duary_satyajit) July 10, 2025

Wow, Trent Boult! First time MINY beat a higher placed team in the season and the first win against Unicorns across three editions. And what a time to do it - the Eliminator. Sad way for Unicorns to exit after winning their first six games. #MLC2025

— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) July 10, 2025

What a match. MINY win with just three balls to go. I thought 131 would have been caught easily but it was a fight to the end. https://t.co/X4b4geyadQ

— x- Maxx Grisz (@dagriszlybear) July 10, 2025

In the Eliminator match of San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York during the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season, San Francisco Unicorns played MI New York at Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas. MI New York won the toss and chose to bowl. San Francisco could not make big partnerships, but Xavier Bartlett fought hard with the bat. MI bowlers maintained control and picked wickets at regular intervals, bowling SF out for a modest total. The chase by MI New York wasn't as smooth, but they kept calm and sprinted across the finishing line with only two wickets in hand.

With this thrilling win, MI New York moved into the Challenger, keeping their season alive in the tournament. San Francisco Unicorns, with this loss, finished their MLC 2025 season despite a great league-stage performance.

San Francisco Unicorns Innings

San Francisco had a shaky start but found hope through Xavier Bartlett, who smashed 44 off 24 deliveries with intent. Cooper Connolly supported with 23 off 19, and Brody Couch added 19 off 18. However, other batsmen failed to stay long, though, and the innings lost momentum. MI bowlers were well-behaved and stuck  at the right moments. Rushil Ugarkar impressed most with 3/19 in 3.1 overs. Trent Boult and Nosthush Kenjige each took 2 wickets, as SF were bowled out for 131 in 19.1 overs.

MI New York Innings

MI chased 132, with Quinton de Kock making 33 from 24 balls and Monank Patel also scoring 33 from 32. But the middle order collapsed under pressure, losing wickets at a rapid rate. Trent Boult was the major finishing act with a sharp 22 from 13 deliveries, leading MI close to the target. San Francisco's Hassan Khan made it difficult by taking 4 wickets for 30 runs, and Matthew Short put additional pressure with 3/22. Nevertheless, MI achieved 132/8 in 19.3 overs and won the match by 2 wickets.

See Also: ENG W vs IND W, 4th T20I: Key moments and full match highlights

San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York: Match Scorecard

San Francisco Unicorns – 131/10 (19.1 Overs)

MI New York – 132/8 (19.3 Overs)

A major controversy sparked debate among fans and game lovers when Matthew Short fired a dead delivery to batter Michael Bracewell during the eliminator of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. San Francisco Unicorns and MI New York met each other on July 10, after the former finished in the third position of the points table while New York was in fourth.

The incident happened on the very first ball of the ninth over. The New York side was comfortable in their chase at 49/2 as the left-handed batter, Michael Bracewell, got ready to face the part-time off-spin of Matthew Short, the captain of the Unicorns. It wasn’t a great evening for the side, which couldn’t handle the pressure of the eliminator with the bat.

SEE ALSO: Know Shubman Gill's preparation ahead of Eng vs Ind Lord's Test

Short tried to fire the ball into the leg side of the southpaw, but on his way to the delivery, the ball slipped out of his hands and flew in the air before ending in the backward point region. The batter had no clue of the entire incident as the umpires called the ball dead. Short went back to his bowling mark with a huge smile on his face as the commentators addressed the incident as ‘spot the ball challenge.’

Watch: Matthew Short’s dead-ball drama stuns MLC 2025

The league had its flaws from the start of the season. The fourth-placed side, MI New York, secured their qualification despite winning just three group-stage encounters in 10 fixtures, with a net run-rate of -0.518. They now faced the third-positioned team, which had seven victories in 10 encounters, boasting a net run-rate of +1.330.

What’s happening there, Matt? 😂 pic.twitter.com/MlmV7My72k

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 10, 2025

Put into bat first, the Unicorns got bundled out for just 131 runs on the board in 19.1 overs. At one point, they were 62/7 in the 12th over. Only Copper Connolly had a double-digit score of 23 besides his name among the top six before Xavier Bartlett displayed his power with the bat, thanks to 44 runs in 24 balls. Trent Boult was excellent with 2/19, while Rushil Ugarkar finished with 3/19.

The chase was not a cakewalk for the New York side. Even after a 43-run opening stand, they kept losing wickets regularly, and their struggling middle order put more pressure on them. Hasan Khan picked 4/30 while Matthew Short, along with his dead-ball stunner, picked 3/22. However, Boult’s unbeaten 22 runs in 13 balls with two sixes in the 19th completed the job.