Los Angeles Knight Riders vs MI New York preview

3rd July 2026

Los Angeles Knight Riders host MI New York at Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium on Saturday for a Major League Cricket clash with significant playoff implications. First ball is at 01:30 UTC (20:30 PDT on Friday, 5 July).

The Knight Riders sit sixth in the standings on 4 points from 5 matches (W2 L3), while MI New York occupy second place on 6 points from the same number of games (W3 L2). The visitors have won all five head-to-head meetings between these sides, a dominant record that looms large over this fixture. For full match data, head-to-head records and live projections, check the Los Angeles Knight Riders vs MI New York fixture page on Statz.

The Venue

Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium in Pomona is a bowler-friendly ground with limited data – only 2 matches played here in MLC so far. The average match total stands at 238.5 runs across those contests, well below typical T20 norms. The average first-innings score is 160, suggesting batting first offers no inherent advantage on a pitch that rewards seam bowling.

Seam bowlers have claimed 87.1% of wickets at an economy rate of 6.27, while spinners account for just 6.5% of dismissals at 7.25 per over. The ground is tagged as Bowler Friendly by Statz. Los Angeles have won just 1 match here (a loss to Washington Freedom on 2 July), while MI New York won their only visit, with Quinton de Kock scoring 61 runs in that victory.

Form and Table

Los Angeles Knight Riders – 6th (P5 W2 L3, 4 pts)

The Knight Riders have stumbled badly in recent matches. They have lost their last three games in succession – to Washington Freedom, Seattle Orcas and MI New York – and sit outside the playoff positions. Their only wins came early in the season against San Francisco Unicorns and Seattle Orcas. The batting has misfired, with scores of 108, 134 and 103 in their last three outings.

MI New York – 2nd (P5 W3 L2, 6 pts)

MI New York have established themselves as genuine contenders. They sit second in the table with 6 points from 5 matches, having won three of their last five. Their most recent victory came against Seattle Orcas on 3 July, chasing down 127 with 8 wickets in hand. They have shown resilience in both batting and bowling.

Standings Snapshot

Pos Team P W L Pts NRR
1 San Francisco Unicorns 5 3 2 6 0.489
2 MI New York 5 3 2 6 0.273
3 Seattle Orcas 7 3 4 6 0.199
4 Texas Super Kings 6 3 3 6 0.021
5 Washington Freedom 6 3 3 6 -0.888
6 Los Angeles Knight Riders 5 2 3 4 0.038

Los Angeles are in genuine danger of missing the playoffs. They sit 2 points adrift of the top four and have one game in hand, but momentum is entirely with MI New York, who have won three of their last five and sit comfortably in a playoff spot.

Head-to-Head

This is the story of the fixture. MI New York have dominated Los Angeles completely – they have won all 5 head-to-head meetings without defeat. The most recent clash came on 27 June at this very ground, where MI New York chased down 103 with ease, scoring 144/6. Nicholas Pooran has been the standout performer in this matchup, accumulating 235 runs across 5 meetings at an average of 47.0 with 12 sixes.

Los Angeles have never beaten MI New York in any format this season. The psychological advantage sits firmly with the visitors, and their recent form suggests they know exactly how to break down the Knight Riders’ attack.

Statz Projections

The Statz projections favour MI New York strongly.

If Los Angeles bat first: Projected first-innings total of 162.1, match total of 316. Win probability – LAKR 36.8%, MINY 61.2%. First-innings P10-P90 range: 127 to 193.

If MI New York bat first: Projected first-innings total of 170.3, match total of 323.7. Win probability – LAKR 37.5%, MINY 60.5%. First-innings P10-P90 range: 144 to 197.

The projected match totals of 316-324 sit well above the venue average of 238.5, suggesting the Statz model rates both lineups as capable of scoring heavily despite the bowler-friendly conditions. However, the win probabilities are consistently in MI New York’s favour regardless of who bats first – the visitors are projected to win 60.5-61.2% of the time.

Predicted XIs

Los Angeles Knight Riders (based on XI vs Washington Freedom, 2 Jul 2026)

  1. Colin Munro
  2. Andre Fletcher (wk)
  3. Jahmar Hamilton
  4. Rovman Powell
  5. Andre Russell
  6. Matthew Tromp
  7. Jason Holder (c)
  8. Sunil Narine
  9. Shadley van Schalkwyk
  10. Ali Khan
  11. Karthik Gattepalli

MI New York (based on XI vs Seattle Orcas, 3 Jul 2026)

  1. Quinton de Kock (wk)
  2. Monank Patel
  3. Nicholas Pooran (c)
  4. Kunwarjeet Singh
  5. Tajinder Singh
  6. Kieron Pollard
  7. Corbin Bosch
  8. Romario Shepherd
  9. Nosthush Kenjige
  10. Rushil Ugarkar
  11. Trent Boult

These lineups are based on the most recent match for each team. Always check the fixture page on Statz for toss updates and confirmed XIs on match day.

Key Players

Colin Munro (Los Angeles Knight Riders)

The New Zealand opener has been Los Angeles’ most consistent batter this season with 172 runs at an average of 34.4 across 5 matches. Munro has scored 20+ runs in all 5 of his matches – a 100% hit rate – and has reached 30+ runs in 60% of his innings. His last three scores of 20, 33 and 25 show a player in steady form. Against a MI New York bowling attack that has conceded runs freely, Munro will be crucial to getting Los Angeles off to a strong start.

Nicholas Pooran (MI New York)

The West Indies captain has been the standout performer in this fixture. With 235 runs across 5 matches at an average of 47.0 and 12 sixes, Pooran has single-handedly dismantled Los Angeles bowling attacks. He has scored 20+ runs in 40% of his matches this season and 30+ runs in 40% – a player who can take any attack apart on his day. His projected 79.5 Dream11 points when MI New York bat second makes him the most bankable captain choice for this fixture.

Sunil Narine (Los Angeles Knight Riders)

The West Indies spinner has been Los Angeles’ most reliable bowler with 9 wickets across 5 matches at an average of 1.8 per game. Narine has taken at least one wicket in all 5 of his matches (100% hit rate) and has taken 2+ wickets in 80% of his appearances. On a bowler-friendly ground, his leg-spin could prove decisive, particularly in the powerplay and death overs where MI New York have shown vulnerability.

Trent Boult (MI New York)

The New Zealand fast bowler has taken 9 wickets across 5 matches and has been among MI New York’s most economical bowlers. Boult has taken at least one wicket in 80% of his matches and has taken 2+ wickets in 20% of appearances. On a ground that favours seam bowling, his experience and skill with the new ball could be crucial in setting the tone for MI New York’s bowling attack.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: Nicholas Pooran (MINY) – projected 79.5 pts when MINY bat second. The MI New York captain has dominated this fixture with 235 runs and 12 sixes across 5 meetings. His aggressive approach and proven record against Los Angeles make him the safest captain choice.

Vice Captain: Quinton de Kock (MINY) – projected 75.7 pts when MINY bat second. The South African wicketkeeper has 141 runs at an average of 28.2 this season and has scored 20+ runs in 80% of his matches. His 61-run knock in MI New York’s only visit to this ground shows he thrives here.

Also consider:

Conditions

Clear skies are forecast for Pomona with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius at match time. Humidity is moderate at 45%. No rain is expected. Wind is light at 3.2 km/h from the west – ideal conditions for cricket with minimal weather interruption.

Verdict and Betting Angles

This is a mismatch on paper. MI New York are in superior form, sit higher in the table, and have won all 5 head-to-head meetings. The Statz projections back them heavily at 60.5-61.2% win probability. Los Angeles are desperate but have shown little to suggest they can break their losing streak against this opponent.

The verdict is clear: MI New York are the strong pick at 60.9% win probability. They have the bowling attack to exploit the bowler-friendly conditions, the batting depth to score runs on a ground that has yielded modest totals, and the psychological edge of five straight wins over Los Angeles.

Indicative odds show MI New York as heavy favourites. Back them with confidence.

Bet Builder Angles

Head to the Statz bet builder for real-time hit rates and odds on this fixture: