MI New York produced a remarkable turnaround to defeat the Seattle Orcas by 17 runs in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026, dealing a huge blow to the Orcas’ playoff hopes after defending such a weak total. Seattle appeared to be cruising in pursuit of 180, reaching 137 for 1 after 15 overs with Tim Seifert and Matthew Breetzke in complete control. The pair have already added a century stand and only 43 runs are required from the last five overs. However, the chase turned sour as MI New York struck at regular intervals. The Orcas lost five wickets during the closing stages and managed just two boundaries in the last two overs, allowing New York to grab an unlikely victory. Kieron Pollard triggered the collapse by bowling Breetzke with a slow delivery. The veteran celebrated with his trademark “finger-on-brain” gesture before immediately leaving the field after appearing to injure his shoulder. Despite the scare, Pollard returned later in the innings and made another important contribution by taking a catch to dismiss fellow West Indian Shimron Hetmyer, who tried to attack Rushil Ugarkar after a quiet 17th over. Although Seattle still had the dangerous Seifert at the crease and the New Zealand batter survived a dropped chance in the 18th over, MI New York remained calm. Romario Shepherd then turned the game decisively in favor of New York. First he produced a superb yoker to remove Marcus Stoinis before Seifert was caught in a penultimate that yielded just three runs. With Seattle needing 22 runs from the end, Pollard ended the contest to seal an improbable victory for MI New York. Earlier, the New York innings recovered well after a top-order collapse. Reduced to 73 for 5 in the 12th over, they looked for a below-par score before Pollard and Tajinder Dhillon transformed the innings with a match-defining partnership. The damage was done primarily by Seattle captain Marcus Stoinis, who claimed the first five-wicket haul of his T20 career. He dismissed Ryan Rickelton early, removed Monank Patel with a slow cutter after Shakib Al Hasan fell on 15, and continued to take advantage of the expert conditions above Dallas. Ottneil Baartman also made an impact by bowling Nicholas Pooran, whose difficult season continued. Pollard and Dhillon then launched a stunning recovery, adding 80 runs in less than seven overs. Their counterattack featured seven sixes and 13 fours as they punished any loose ends. Dhillon, who benefited from two dropped catches in the 17th and 18th overs, raced to a half-century from just 22 deliveries while effectively reading the slower balls. Stoinis made a late comeback to remove Pollard, Shepherd and Trent Boult in five balls, but Dhillon ensured MI New York finished strongly by taking 20 runs from Dasun Shanaka in the last over. Those late runs ultimately proved decisive. Dhillon remained unbeaten on 66 to register his first fifty of the season and was named Player of the Match. After the match, he dedicated the award to his brother, who was also his first cricket coach and died in January. The win lifts MI New York to second place in the standings, while the Seattle Orcas need to win their final league game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Brief scores: MI New York 179/8 in 20 overs (Tajinder Dhillon 66*, Kieron Pollard 54; Marcus Stoinis 5-46, Ottneil Baartman 2-18) beat Seattle Orcas 162/6 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 88, Pollardo 4 Kitzeron, Matthew Breardo; Shepherd 2-13) by 17 runs.