MLC 2025: Run-fests aplenty fuelled by domestic USA talent

The 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season culminated in a thrilling final over, perfectly encapsulating a season of remarkable growth. A 22-year-old Rushil Ugarkar held his nerve against seasoned T20 pros Glenn Maxwell and Glenn Phillips, securing a near theatrical comeback for MI New York to win their second MLC title-and the franchise's third across three different continents in 2025. This was a season where local players truly came into their own, holding their ground against the might of international stars after two seasons of gaining valuable experience under their wings.

The tournament itself saw significant expansion, moving to a double round-robin format with 30 league games, up from 21 in 2024 and 15 in 2023. The MLC caravan also ventured to new territories in the west coast, playing nine games at the Oakland Coliseum in San Francisco, and making its debut in Lauderhill. Here is a closer look at the progress of the tournament's third edition.

A batting slogfest

The third iteration of the tournament kicked off with a clear statement: San Francisco Unicorns piled up 269 for 5 against Washington Freedom, signalling a new era of high scores. The season recorded an astonishing 18 totals exceeding 200, a significant leap from just two in 2023 and four in 2024. In six of these matches, both teams breached the 200-run mark. The highest total from the first two MLC seasons - 215 for 5 by Unicorns in 2023-now sits in 11th place, dwarfed by Unicorns' opening-day explosion.

Chasing sides were equally impressive, reaching 200+ six times, with five of those resulting in victories. This included Seattle Orcas hunting down New York's 238 off the final ball, marking the highest successful chase in MLC history. In previous seasons, no team batting second had even managed to reach 200.

The season's run-rate surpassed nine runs per over for the first time, jumping from 8.33 in 2024 to 9.22 in 2025, a 10.7% hike. Importantly, this quicker scoring didn't come at the expense of wickets, as batters registered an improved average of 27.76.

Batting stats across seasons in MLC

Of the three host venues, Grand Prairie and Oakland saw scoring rates soar well above nine runs per over. Grand Prairie alone witnessed 11 of the 18 200+ totals across 30 innings, including four of the five successful 200+ chases, with scoring rates soaring to 9.63 per over. Lauderhill presented more challenges for batters, with both of its 200+ totals across