During the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 Eliminator match in Oakland, the Washington Freedom made history by achieving the biggest successful run chase in T20 history. On Thursday, July 16, the Steve Smith-led team defeated MI New York by chasing down a 267-run target with eight balls remaining.
Steve Smith, captain of Washington Freedom, won the toss and chose to field first. Quinton de Kock (51) and Kieron Pollard (64 in 25 balls; 8 sixes) played supporting role as captain Nicholas Pooran hammered the Washington bowlers to all parts of the Oakland Coliseum.
He hammered 13 sixes and 5 fours on his way to a 33-ball 108 runs, powering MI New York to 266/9 in 20 overs. Rachin Ravindra was the most successful bowler with 4/29 in his 4 overs.
In the mammoth chase, Mitchell Owen (1) and Rachin Ravindra (6) got out early, but captain Steve Smith and Andries Gous came together to create history. They added 241 runs for the third wicket and powered WF to the unthinkable.
Smith made 110* in 48 balls, hitting 7 fours and 9 sixes, while Gous made 132 in 51 balls with 10 fours and 12 sixes to his name. Their fireworks in Oakland powered Washington to 270/4 in 18.4 overs, winning the game by 6 wickets.
In order to advance to the final against the Los Angeles Knight Riders, the Washington Freedom will next play the San Francisco Unicorns in the Qualifier 2 game at the same location.
Washington Freedom broke the record of Punjab Kings for the highest successful chase in T20 history.
In their match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat their own record for the greatest successful chase. Thanks to KL Rahul’s impressive 152, the hosts have 264 runs on the board. But with seven balls left, the Shreyas Iyer-led team managed to hunt it down.
Highest Successful Run Chases in Men’s T20 Cricket
| Rank | Team | Score | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington Freedom | 270/4 | MI New York | Oakland | 2026 |
| 2 | Punjab Kings | 262/2 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kolkata | 2024 |
| 3 | South Africa | 259/4 | West Indies | Centurion | 2023 |
| 4 | Middlesex | 254/3 | Surrey | London | 2023 |
| 5 | Bulgaria | 246/4 | Serbia | Sofia | 2022 |
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