MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds Prediction & Match Preview – The Hundred Men’s 2026

The Hundred Men’s 2026 begins at the Kennington Oval on Tuesday 21 July, with MI London, previously known as Oval Invincibles, hosting Sunrisers Leeds, formerly Northern Superchargers. MI London arrive as holders after topping the 2025 table with six wins from eight and then beating Trent Rockets by 26 runs in the Lord’s final, a record third successive men’s title. They made 168/5 and bowled Rockets out for 142/8, with Nathan Sowter taking 3/25 and Jordan Cox finishing as Player of the Series on 367 runs.

Will Jacks scored 312 runs at a strike rate of 156 last year and Sam Curran added 263 runs and 12 wickets across his last 10 matches. Rashid Khan took 12 wickets in six games at an economy rate of 8.20, which makes him their main threat with the ball.

Sunrisers Leeds finished third in 2025 with five wins from eight. One of those came against MI London, when they made 198/4 and won by 16 runs after limiting the champions to 182/7, Harry Brook hitting 56 off 27 balls. Brook scored 227 runs at a strike rate of 162.14 and captain Zak Crawley made 280 at an average of 40, while Matthew Potts took 11 wickets and Tom Lawes eight. We still back the champions, but Leeds have shown they can beat them.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

The Oval is considered one of the better batting surfaces in English domestic white-ball cricket, with good pace and even bounce. New-ball bowlers can find swing and seam, especially under cloud, before the pitch eases. The outfield is quick, and spinners are more likely to succeed with variations than with big turn. Scores in the range of 170–185 are often competitive, and dew can help the chasing team in an evening game.

Weather

Pleasant evening conditions are forecast for the 6:30 pm local start on 21 July, with temperatures around 21–22°C and partly cloudy skies. Rain looks unlikely, so a full match is expected, and light winds may offer seamers a little help with the new ball.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 145–160
• 2nd innings: 140–155

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