MLC 2025 [WATCH]: Debut delight for Karthik Gattepalli as LA Knight Riders edge past San Francisco by 11 runs

In a rain-affected high-scoring clash in Florida, Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAS) edged past San Francisco Unicorns (SFU)by 11 runs in Major Cricket League (MLC) 2025. The match featured explosive batting, sharp fielding and crucial breakthroughs, making it a thrilling contest across all three departments.

Karthik Gattepalli removes Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk in dream debut over

A moment of brilliance lit up the second over of the second innings as Karthik Gattepalli struck with his very first ball in T20 cricket. Bowling a sharp back-of-a-length delivery on middle and off, he forced Matthew Short into a mistimed pull. The ball came off the bottom half of the bat and seemed destined for a safe landing, until Alex Hales intervened. Stationed at mid-on, Hales moved swiftly to his right and pulled off a sensational two-handed catch while tumbling to the ground. The fielders erupted in celebration as Gattepalli marked a dream debut with a wicket on his first delivery.

In the same over, Gattepalli struck again, this time with a moment of rare dismissal. He lured Jake Fraser-McGurk into a push with a nicely tossed-up delivery that drifted in and then spun away sharply. Caught off balance, Fraser-McGurk overstepped the crease just as wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat fumbled the take. But in a stroke of luck, the ball popped out of his gloves and fell straight onto the stumps. The bails lit up just before the batter could drag his foot back, giving Gattepalli his second wicket and capping off a dream over.

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Here’s the video:

A legendary start for Gattepalli, taking two wickets of SFU Skipper Matt Short and batting powerhouse Jake Fraser-McGurk in his first ever MLC over. 💥 pic.twitter.com/K6VbSNuxyV

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 7, 2025

San Francisco slip out of a crucial top 2 spot after narrow loss to Los Angeles Knight Riders

After being invited to bat first, Los Angeles finally got their batting act together after a poor run throughout the tournament. Opener Andre Fletcher was the star, smashing a brilliant 118 off just 58 balls. Alex Hales also chipped in with a fine half-century as the team posted a massive 243 runs in 19 overs. In reply, San Francisco had a terrible start, losing three wickets for just 7 runs in under two overs. However, Sanjay Krishnamurthi kept the chase alive with an excellent 93, supported well by Hassan Khan and Hammad Azam, who stitched a crucial partnership in the middle overs. Despite the late fightback, SFU fell just 11 runs short — a narrow defeat that cost them a place in the top two.

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