West Indies all-rounder, Akeal Hosein made history with a stunning hat-trick, but it was Nikhil Chaudhary who stole the spotlight by hitting a last-ball six, clinching a thrilling one-wicket victory for Washington Freedom over Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket 2026. The nail-biting finish in Oakland turned the game on its head during the final over.
With six runs to defend, Hosein kicked things off with a dot ball before taking down Marco Jansen, Amila Aponso, and Asif Mehmood in three consecutive deliveries, marking the first hat-trick in MLC history. A leg bye on the fifth ball brought Chaudhary back to the crease, and with five runs needed off the last ball, he launched the ball over the deep midwicket boundary, sealing one of the most unforgettable wins in the tournament's history while it was a heartbreak for Akeal and the Texas Super Kings.
That final blow not only decided the match but also highlighted Chaudhary's all-around performance. He finished unbeaten on 27 from 19 balls, hitting three sixes, including the game-winner. Earlier in the match, he also took 2 for 29 with his leg-spin, breaking crucial partnerships in the first innings. His contributions in both innings earned him the Player of the Match award, even with Mitchell Owen's explosive 77 at the top of the order.
At the post-match presentation, Nikhil shared his thoughts on the win, as he said, “I just had a belief in myself; even if I had one ball, I could clear the boundary with that ball and win the game from there. And the main focus was to get to the end, probably because wickets were falling quite quickly in the last five overs. My main focus was to reach the last two overs, and then we could probably win from there.”
Washington Freedom win thriller against Texas Super Kings by 1 wicket
The Texas Super Kings set a target of 185 for 4 after opting to bat first, but they really needed a strong finish to get there. They lost Faf du Plessis early on, but Rilee Rossouw stepped up with 34 runs, and Saiteja Mukkamalla contributed 37 to stabilize the innings. Still, the scoring rate was pretty steady until the final overs. That’s when Wiaan Mulder and Donovan Ferreira turned things around with an explosive unbeaten partnership of 75 runs off just 31 balls.
Mulder ended up with 43 not out from 20 balls, while Ferreira matched him with 44 not out from the same number of deliveries. For Washington Freedom, Chaudhary had a decent outing with figures of 2 for 29, but the other bowlers struggled to contain the late surge.
When it came time for Washington Freedom to chase, they looked completely in control as Mitchell Owen smashed 77 runs off just 35 balls, forming a quick 91-run opening partnership with Steven Smith, who added 30. Even after Owen was out, the chase remained steady until Texas made a comeback with some disciplined bowling.
Obus Pienaar and Marco Jansen chipped in with crucial late runs to keep Freedom in the lead, but Hosein’s incredible final over nearly turned the tide. His impressive figures of 4 for 36 included the tournament's first hat-trick, bringing the match down to the last ball. In the end, though, Chaudhary held his nerve, hit the winning six, and secured one of the narrowest victories in MLC history for Freedom.
