MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds Prediction & Match Preview – The Hundred Men’s 2026
Match summary
Defending champions MI London open The Hundred Men’s 2026 against Sunrisers Leeds at the Oval on 21 July. Form, key players, pitch and our pick.
Match details
| Match | MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds, 1st Match |
|---|---|
| Series | The Hundred Men’s 2026 |
| Date | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Start time | 5:30 pm GMT / 6:30 pm local |
| Venue | Kennington Oval, London |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | MI London |
| Toss pick | MI London |
Matches in this series
Match preview
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.
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.
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
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 145–160 | – |
| Second innings | 140–155 | – |
MI London
The defending champions have a settled squad and strong recent form, so we back MI London to start their title defence with a win.
Toss pick: MI London
FAQ
Who is expected to win MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds?
Our preview picks MI London, who are the defending champions and have a settled, in-form squad.
What happened when these sides met last year?
Sunrisers Leeds, then Northern Superchargers, won by 16 runs after scoring 198/4 and holding MI London to 182/7.
What score is par at the Oval?
We expect roughly 145–160 in the first innings, and a team reaching 155 or more should have a good chance of defending.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
MI London
- Jason Roy
- Will Jacks
- Ollie Pope
- Nicholas Pooran
- Sam Curran
- James Vince
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Rashid Khan
- Nathan Sowter
- Trent Boult
- Richard Gleeson
Sunrisers Leeds
- Zak Crawley
- Tom Alsop
- Harry Brook
- Mitchell Marsh
- Ed Barnard
- Brydon Carse
- Benny Howell
- Matthew Potts
- Tom Lawes
- Reece Topley
- Nathan Ellis