Haye re, yeh Washington Freedom wale bhi na, ek din haarte hain aur doosre din aisa dhoom machate hain jaise T20 ke baadshah wohi hain! Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 ke 4th match mein, Seattle Orcas ke khilaaf unki jeet toh bas dekhte hi banta hai. Lagta tha ki San Francisco Unicorns se pehla match 123 run se haarne ke baad yeh team shayad abhi bhi shock mein hogi, par nahi! Ian Holland ne toh aisa jadoo chalaya ki Orcas ke batsmen bas dekhte reh gaye. Aur upar se Rachin Ravindra aur Glenn Maxwell ke tezz battinge ne toh chase ko mazaak bana diya. Par zara thehro, yeh kahani itni seedhi bhi nahi hai, chalo thodi si khaasi mein ghuskar dekhte hain.
Ian Holland ka Din, Orcas ka Bura Haal
Seattle Orcas ne toss jeetkar pehle batting ka faisla kiya, socha hoga ki Oakland Coliseum ke is pitch par bada score khada kar denge. David Warner aur Kyle Mayers ne toh shuruat bhi zabardast ki, powerplay mein 66/1 tak pahunch gaye. Warner ne toh crease ke bahar khade hokar boundaries ki baarish kar di, aur Mayers ne Glenn Phillips ke ek over mein 6, 4, 4 maar ke dikhaya ki woh bhi kam nahi. Par yahan se kahani mein twist aaya – Ian Holland ka twist!
Holland, jo USA ke liye khelte hain aur Hampshire ke county cricket mein bhi dhoom machate hain, ne apne slower balls se Orcas ke batsmen ko pareshan kar diya. Unki career-best T20 figures 4/19 ne Seattle ko 145/9 par rok diya. Ek waqt par lag raha tha ki Orcas 180-190 tak jayega, par Holland ne unke sapne chur-chur kar diye. Unhone kaha, “Main bas apne slower balls par focus kiya, aur aaj kaam ban gaya.” Yeh wahi Holland hain jinhone 2012 mein Australia ke reality show Cricket Superstar jeetkar Victoria ke sath contract paya tha. Aisa lagta hai jaise woh reality show ka drama ab bhi apne bowling mein laate hain
Yeh performance yaad dilati hai 2019 ke World Cup mein Jofra Archer ke us spell ki jab unhone Australia ke against 5 wickets leke unki batting ko dhwasth kar diya tha. Archer ki tarah Holland bhi apne variations se batsmen ko chakkar mein daal dete hain. Seattle ke liye yeh ek aur yaadgaar haar thi, jaisa ki 2024 MLC mein hua jab woh sirf ek match jeet paye aur table ke aakhir mein rahe.
Ravindra aur Maxwell ka T20 Hungama
Chase mein Washington Freedom ne dikhaya ki woh defending champions kyun hain. Mitchell Owen ne pehli hi ball par chhakka maar ke mood set kiya, aur Rachin Ravindra ne 18 balls mein 44 run thok diye. Yeh wahi Ravindra hain jinhone 2024 MLC mein 12 wickets bhi liye the, dikhaya ki woh sirf bat se hi nahi, ball se bhi hero hain. Unki is innings ne yaad dilaya MS Dhoni ke us 91* (79) run ki 2011 World Cup final mein, jab unhone chase ko itna aasaan bana diya ki lagta tha ki woh coffee peete hue khel rahe hain.
Glenn Maxwell, jo is match ke captain the, ne bhi 20 balls mein 38* run banaye aur match ko 39 balls bachi hui thi tab khatam kar diya. Maxwell ka yeh form yaad dilata hai unke 2014 IPL ke us season ka jab woh Kings XI Punjab ke liye har match mein bowlers ki dhulayi karte the. Washington ne powerplay mein 90 run banaye – MLC ka highest powerplay score! Yeh dikhata hai ki jab yeh team form mein hoti hai, toh kisi ke liye bhi rokna mushkil hai.
Washington Freedom ka Dum
Yeh jeet Washington Freedom ke liye ek bada boost hai, kyunki San Francisco Unicorns ke khilaaf pehla match haarne ke baad unpar pressure tha. 2024 mein unhone MLC title jeeta tha, jab Steve Smith ne final mein 88 run ki shandaar innings kheli thi. Is baar bhi team mein Smith, Maxwell, Ravindra, aur Lockie Ferguson jaise stars hain, par Ian Holland jaise domestic players ka yeh dikhana ki woh bhi bade mauke par chha sakte hain, team ke liye badi baat hai.
Seattle Orcas ke liye yeh match ek aur missed opportunity tha. Heinrich Klaasen, David Warner jaise bade naam hone ke bawajood, unki batting Holland ke aage dhari ki dhari reh gayi. Yeh thodi si uss 2007 T20 World Cup ke India vs Pakistan match ki tarah thi, jab India ke bowlers ne Pakistan ko 141 par rok diya tha aur phir chase mein jeet paye. Seattle ko ab apne aage ke matches mein kuch karishma dikhana hoga, warna 2024 jaisa season phir se dohra sakta hai.
Aage Kya?
Washington Freedom ka agla match Los Angeles Knight Riders ke khilaaf hai, aur yeh jeet unke confidence ko aur buland karegi. Par cricket toh wahi khel hai jahan ek din aap hero ho, aur doosre din zero. San Francisco ke khilaaf unki haar ne dikhaya ki agar unke bowlers ne thodi si bhi galti ki, toh Finn Allen jaise batsmen unki band baja sakte hain. Ian Holland ka yeh performance shayad ek shuruaat ho, par kya woh is form ko baaki season bhi carry kar payenge? Aur Seattle Orcas? Bas yahi dua hai ki woh apne stars ke bharose rehne ke bajaye thodi si team spirit dikhaye.
Toh filhaal ke liye, Washington Freedom ke fans thodi si party kar sakte hain, par yaad rakho, yeh T20 hai – yahan koi bhi team kabhi bhi palat sakti hai. Aur agar aisa hua, toh phir yeh Freedom wale apne “freedom” ko thodi si aur mehnat se defend karna seekh lenge.
