Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 mein San Francisco Unicorns ne ek baar phir dikhaya ke unka dum kisi se kam nahi hai. Los Angeles Knight Riders ke khilaaf unki 32-run ki jeet ne sabko hairaan kar diya, lekin thodi si mazaak udane wali baat yeh hai ke Knight Riders ke bade-bade naam—Sunil Narine, Andre Russell—jaise khilaadiyon ka koi jadoo hi nahi chala! Narine ne toss toh jeet liya, fielding chuni, lekin unki team ke bowlers ko Jake Fraser-McGurk aur Finn Allen ne aisa dhoya ke lagta tha jaise woh practice session mein hain.
Ab baat karte hain Fraser-McGurk ki, jo IPL 2025 mein toh bilkul hi flop rahe the. 6 innings mein sirf 55 runs banaye, aur Australia ke T20I squad se bhi bahar ho gaye. Ek waqt toh aisa laga ke yeh banda shayad T20 ka apna charm kho chuka hai. Lekin Oakland Coliseum mein 14 June 2025 ko unhone aisi 38-ball 88 ki innings kheli ke sabka muh band ho gaya. 11 sixes aur 2 fours ke saath unhone Knight Riders ke bowlers ko adhoora sapna dikha diya. Yeh innings yaad dilati hai 2018 IPL ki, jab Andre Russell ne Chennai Super Kings ke khilaaf 88* runs banaye the, usme bhi 11 sixes the. Fraser-McGurk ka yeh knock usi level ka tha, aur shayad thoda zyada dramatic bhi, kyunki woh apne career ke ek low point se wapas aaye hain.
Finn Allen bhi koi kam nahi the. Unhone 27 balls mein 52 runs thoke, aur Fraser-McGurk ke saath milke 55 balls mein 121 runs ki partnership banayi. Yeh partnership dekhne mein waisi hi thi jaise 2008 IPL mein Gautam Gambhir aur Virender Sehwag ki opening jodi, jo bowlers ke dil mein darr baitha deti thi. Allen ka yeh form MLC ke pehle match se hi chala aa raha hai, jab unhone Washington Freedom ke khilaaf 51 balls mein 151 runs banaye the, jisme 19 sixes shamil the—Chris Gayle ka record todte hue. Yeh do match dekh kar lagta hai ke Unicorns ka batting line-up kisi bhi team ko hara sakta hai.
Bowling mein Xavier Bartlett aur Haris Rauf ne Knight Riders ko sambhalne ka koi mauka nahi diya. Dono ne 4-4 wickets liye, aur yeh performance yaad dilati hai Pakistan ke 1992 World Cup ke days ki, jab Wasim Akram aur Waqar Younis ki jodi opposition ko tabah kar deti thi. Bartlett, jo IPL mein Punjab Kings ke liye khel rahe hain, aur Rauf, jo apne fiery pace ke liye jaane jaate hain, ne saabit kiya ke Unicorns ki bowling bhi utni hi khatarnaak hai jitna unka batting. Knight Riders ke Unmukt Chand (53) aur Matthew Tromp (41) ne thodi si ladayi ki, lekin yeh koshish aisi thi jaise 2011 World Cup final mein Sri Lanka ke Mahela Jayawardene ka century—bahut sundar, lekin jeet ke liye kaafi nahi.
Ab thodi tareef ho jaye Unicorns ke underdog spirit ki. MLC mein Washington Freedom aur Los Angeles Knight Riders jaise teams ke bade stars hote hain, lekin Unicorns ne dikhaya ke chhoti team bhi bada dhamaka kar sakti hai. Yeh baat dil ko chhuti hai, jaise 1983 World Cup mein India ne West Indies ko hara kar trophy jeeti thi. Unicorns ke coach Shane Watson aur captain Corey Anderson ne team ko ek aisa josh diya hai, jo har match mein dikhta hai. Fraser-McGurk ko Player of the Match award mila, lekin yeh jeet poori team ka effort thi.
Lekin thodi si khari baat bhi sun lo. Yeh jeet toh theek hai, lekin MLC ka safar lamba hai. Fraser-McGurk ka yeh knock shandaar tha, lekin kya woh is form ko baaki season bhi continue kar payenge? IPL 2025 mein unka struggle yaad hai na? Aur Unicorns ke bowlers ne bhale hi Knight Riders ko roka, lekin jab Washington Freedom jaise teams ke saath rematch hoga, tab kya hoga? Allen aur Fraser-McGurk ke alawa baaki batsmen bhi toh consistent hona padega. Warna yeh do jeet bas ek chhoti si kahani ban kar reh jayengi, jaise 2007 T20 World Cup ke baad India ka T20 form kuch waqt ke liye dip gaya tha. Abhi ke liye toh Unicorns ka josh dekh kar mazaa aa raha hai, lekin cricket ka khel hai bhai, yahan kabhi bhi twist aa sakta hai.
