MI NY won their second MLC title ©MLC
In the end, it was all too familiar for the men in blue-and-gold on Sunday night. True to the grandest traditions of the MI franchise, MI New York, down and buried earlier in the tournament clawed their way back to life. Summoning that familiar alter-ego: the most ruthless, trophy-churning machinery the franchise world has ever seen.
MINY sheepishly dropped six of their first seven games heading into the final Miami leg of the tournament. Going by the words of their Talisman, Keiron Pollard, they shook off those defeats with a bit of retail therapy in the city's glitzy malls. While their wardrobes may have been refreshed, they didn't need to shop for the gladiator instincts that come embedded in that MI jersey. With their backs pinned firmly to the wall, MINY have since gone on a rampage. Winning five consecutive games (excluding their final league fixture, where they rested seven players), two in Miami and three in the playoffs in Dallas, to script one of the most gob-smacking turnarounds in the world of franchise cricket.
The parabolic arc of MINY's campaign, peaking at just the right moment, also served as a real test of character for head coach Mark Boucher. The former South Africa wicket keeper had been caught in the cross hairs of fan scrutiny amidst leadership changes at the franchise in the forgetful 2024 season at the Mumbai Indians. Not only did he redeem himself by clinching his first piece of silverware under the MI umbrella, but he also instilled a cultural reset within the MINY setup that may propel the team for years to come.
Boucher helped broaden the outlook of the domestic players and redefined their roles. "It is time for the domestics to own this tournament through your performances" Boucher had said in one of the team meetings prior to the tournament. "This is your local tournament. Foreign players may be here to support but at the end of the day this platform is for us to make a real impact".
The relative inexperience of domestic players like Monank Patel during the past two seasons, especially when measured against the A-list superstars in the dugout, meant he long viewed himself as a supporting act. His role was largely limited to seeing off the powerplay before handing over the reins to his more decorated teammates. But under Mark Boucher's tutelage, he was empowered to take center stage, no longer glancing over his shoulder at the bigger names, but instead embracing the responsibility of carrying the team on his shoulders, just as he has done so often for the USA. The American captain repaid that faith in full, amassing 478 runs over the course of the season to finish at the top of the run charts.
A similar transformation took root on the bowling front in the form of 22-year-old Rushil Ugarkar, the final over hero whose ice-cool defense of 12 runs against Glenn Maxwell and Glenn Phillips sealed championship glory for MINY. Just a season ago, Ugarkar was viewed as more of a filler bowler at MINY, not quite trusted to complete his quota. In fact, in the Minor League Championship final on this very ground two years earlier, he wasn't deemed good enough to bowl even a single over.
With Boucher incharge, Ugarkar's stock has been on the rise. With offseason investments where MI took him to the IPL as a support bowler, Ugarkar has been able to build on in his filler role to a more commanding role alongside Trent Boult. Apart from an aberration or two, the youngster has largely gone unscathed in the high scoring games this season being played on some absolute batting paradises.
"What I really enjoyed from the start, is his attitude. He is young and wants the ball in tough situations. He's going to make one or two mistakes as a youngster. I think that when we first gave him an opportunity at the start of the competition, his lengths that he was bowling were a touch too full. We spoke about that, and he got it right. You got to have the attitude to be able to take that information in and then put it into practice. And I think that that is where he's been really impressive. There's no surprise why he's doing well now. And hopefully, I mean, he bowled really well yesterday in tough situations, bowling into the wind as well. You know, he's been a great find for us at the back end of the competition" said Boucher about Ugarkar on the eve of the finals in a moment of great epiphany, one that would get validated 24 hours later.
MINY were also astute in their decision-making, prioritizing form over reputations when it mattered most. Young Ugarkar was backed ahead of former Pakistan international Ehsan Adil in the business end of the tournament, a call that ultimately paid rich dividends. Similarly, Tajinder Singh Dhillon's off-spin was chosen over that of Michael Bracewell, despite Bracewell being a Test-quality spinner. The Kiwi had been consistently expensive in the league phase of the tournament which prompted the trust in Tejinder. The 33-year-old didn't disappoint as he delivered 8 overs across the knockouts without conceding a single six, including three high-pressure overs in the final, maintaining a miserly economy rate of just 6 runs per over.
Pollard completed 700 T20 games during the course of the season apart from being crowned with 18 titles after MINY's victory on Sunday night, edging past good mate Dwayne Bravo to be the most decorated T20 player in the world. "Polly, what's next 1000 games?" asked a teammate. "No way man! Will watch you guys play from beyond the boundary" responded Pollard with a smile. The transition may seem distant, a definite new era among the domestics is definitely taking shape. Ugarkar has developed a quirky tradition of requesting Boult's shoes as a form of a momento. And while it may still be a while before Ugarkar or the rest of the domestic core can truly step into the shoes of MI loyalists and legends like Pollard and Boult, Boucher is surely helping build an army that lives by the MI DNA. The same gladiator instincts that has made MI into a ruthless trophy churning machinery.
© Cricbuzz