All-round Haris Rauf powers Unicorns past Knight Riders in MLC 2025

Haris Rauf’s all-round brilliance and a blazing knock from Jake Fraser-McGurk propelled the San Francisco Unicorns to their second consecutive victory in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, as they triumphed over the Los Angeles Knight Riders by defending another 200-plus total.

Finn Allen continued his fine form with a second successive fifty, while Fraser-McGurk roared back to life with a scintillating 88 off just 38 balls, featuring 11 sixes and two fours. 

His innings was a strong response after managing just 61 runs across his previous seven T20 innings, which had also seen him dropped from Delhi Capitals' XI in the IPL.

Fraser-McGurk and Allen combined for a devastating 121-run stand for the second wicket in only 55 balls, including a powerful 76-run powerplay. 

One of the standout moments came in the fifth over, when Fraser-McGurk launched four consecutive sixes off Shadley van Schalkwyk, taking 25 off the over.

Although the Unicorns were momentarily slowed by tight overs from Sunil Narine and Jason Sangha, they soon regained momentum before Allen was dismissed for a 27-ball 52. 

Fraser-McGurk continued the assault, reaching his 50 in 21 balls and adding three more sixes before falling for 88 with the score at 167 and 39 balls remaining.

Despite the strong foundation, LAKR’s bowlers staged a late comeback. The Unicorns lost four wickets for just 52 runs in the final stretch, including a double strike from Ali Khan. 

Haris Rauf played a brilliant cameo, scoring 16 off just seven deliveries with two fours and a six, helping the Unicorns cross the 200-run mark.

The Knight Riders’ chase was rocked early by the loss of openers Andre Fletcher and Alex Hales within the first 21 deliveries. 

Unmukt Chand provided resistance with a 30-ball fifty and helped LAKR to 66 in the powerplay. He found brief support in Nitish Kumar, with whom he added 46 runs off 24 balls, but momentum stalled again with just 33 runs coming from the next 30 deliveries.

Chand reignited the innings briefly before Haris Rauf returned with a game-defining over, dismissing both Chand and Andre Russell — the latter clean bowled by a fiery 146kph delivery. 

With five wickets down and 107 needed off 42 balls, the target proved too steep.

Late fireworks from Saif Badar (17 off 8) and captain Sunil Narine (27 off 13) gave LAKR a glimmer of hope. 

However, Haris Rauf sealed the deal with another double-wicket over in the 19th, finishing with figures of 4/41 in his four-over spell and bringing an end to the Knight Riders’ resistance.