WF vs MINY, MLC 2026, Eliminator Prediction: Who will win today’s game between Washington Freedom and MI New York?

The knockout stage of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 continues with an exciting Eliminator clash as Washington Freedom (WF) take on MI New York (MINY) at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland. Both teams finished the league stage with strong campaigns but missed out on a top-two finish, making this a must-win contest. The winner will advance to Eliminator 2 and stay alive in the race for the MLC 2026 title, while the losing side will bow out of the tournament.

Washington Freedom head into the contest with confidence after defeating MI New York by five wickets in their final league-stage encounter. Chasing 188, Andries Gous produced a sensational 96, while Rachin Ravindra smashed a rapid 60 to help Freedom complete the chase comfortably. Earlier in the match, Saurabh Netravalkar and Ben Dwarshuis impressed with the ball to restrict MI New York despite Nicholas Pooran’s brilliant innings.

MI New York, however, possess enough firepower to bounce back. Captain Pooran has been in exceptional touch with the bat, while experienced stars such as Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Romario Shepherd and Trent Boult are capable of changing the game single-handedly. Washington Freedom, meanwhile, will once again rely on the likes of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Marco Jansen and Ravindra as they aim to book a place in the next round.

WF vs MINY, MLC 2026 Eliminator: Match details

Date and Time: July 16, 7:00 AM IST / 1:30 AM GMT / 6:30 PM Local (July 15)
Venue: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland

WF vs MINY Head-to-Head Record

Matches played: 8 | Washington Freedom won: 4 | MI New York won: 3 | No Result: 1

Oakland Coliseum Pitch Report

The drop-in surface at the Oakland Coliseum has offered a balanced contest throughout the tournament. Fast bowlers are expected to enjoy some movement with the new ball, thanks to the fresh grass covering and the slightly two-paced nature of the wicket. Batters will need to negotiate the opening few overs carefully before playing their attacking shots.

As the innings progresses, the pitch generally becomes better for batting, with the bounce remaining consistent. Stroke-makers who settle in can score freely during the middle overs, although variations and slower deliveries continue to be effective. A first-innings score in the region of 175-185 should prove competitive, and the captain winning the toss may prefer to bowl first.

Squads

Washington Freedom: Steven Smith (c), Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Lahiru Milantha, Nikhil Chaudhary, Ben Dwarshuis, Obus Pienaar, Ian Holland, Saurabh Netravalkar, Marco Jansen, Amila Aponso, Mukhtar Ahmed, Lockie Ferguson, Jack Edwards, Abhishek Paradkar, Yasir Mohammad, Asif Mehmood

MI New York: Nicholas Pooran (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Monank Patel, Shakib Al Hasan, Kieron Pollard, Tajinder Dhillon, Kunwarjeet Singh, Romario Shepherd, Trent Boult, Ehsan Adil, Rushil Ugarkar, Corey Anderson, Corbin Bosch, Ryan Rickelton, Nosthush Kenjige, Agni Chopra, Faisal Khan Ahmadzai, AM Ghazanfar, Tristan Luus, Sunny Patel

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