Washington Liberty rewrote records on Wednesday, recording the highest chase success rate in T20 history as they beat defending champions MI New York by 267 runs by 6 wickets in the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) 1st Elimination Match at the Oakland Coliseum.The chase surpassed Kings XI Punjab’s 265-run chase success against Delhi Capitals in the IPL earlier this year to become the biggest chase in the history of T20 cricket.The game turned out to be one of the highest-scoring games in the format as MI New York posted 266 runs thanks to Nicholas Pooran’s 31-ball century. The Washington Liberty responded with a record-breaking run, with Andris Guth and Steven Smith leading the charge to keep their title hopes alive.Freedom will now face the San Francisco Unicorns in Eliminator 2, with the winner facing the Los Angeles Cavaliers in the MLC 2026 Finals.The match also saw a record 51 sixes, the highest number of hits in a T20 match and the first time there were more than 50 sixes. MI New York was out for 29 while Washington Liberty hit 22 sixes.The previous record was 42 sixes, set by Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2024, which was later equaled by Guyana Amazon Warriors and St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League in the same year.MI New York also became the team with the most hits in a single inning in MLC history, breaking the San Francisco Unicorns’ record of 28 set in 2025 against the Washington Liberty in Oakland.Pooran’s hundred, which came in just 31 balls, became the fastest century in MLC history and the second-fastest century in franchise T20 cricket. Only Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in IPL 2013 has been faster. The previous MLC record belonged to Finn Allen, who surpassed the milestone last year with 34 goals.The match also produced 536 runs, which is the second-highest match total in T20 history. Only the 549-run match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 has resulted in the most runs being scored in a T20 match.Despite Pooran’s record-breaking innings, Washington Liberty emerged victorious, with Guth and Smith leading their side to one of the biggest wins the format has ever witnessed. The match also saw the second-highest partnership in T20 history with a total of 241 runs, adding yet another record to a match that rewrote multiple milestones.
