Match 8 | Major League Cricket 2026 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland | 24 June 2026

Texas Super Kings have lost their last two matches and head into Match 8 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, a venue no MLC side has used in 2026. San Francisco Unicorns arrive with Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the kind of form that beat TSK four days ago. Faf du Plessis missed Match 7, and his availability is unconfirmed. With the surface an unknown quantity and the head-to-head sitting 4-1 to SFU, the question is whether TSK’s batting has enough to turn this around. 

TSK’s Batting Fell Apart Against MI New York

Milind Kumar (39) and Shubham Ranjane (49) built a 65-run fourth-wicket stand that dragged TSK to 133 for 6 in Match 7. Then the last four wickets went for 25 runs, finishing at 158 all out. MI New York chased it with 14 balls to spare via Nicholas Pooran’s 68 not out and Monank Patel’s 46, winning by 8 wickets. 

Trent Boult set it up, removing Smit Patel for a duck and Rossouw for 8 to leave TSK at 20 for 2. Corbin Bosch then took 4 for 29 to end the recovery. Neither Ranjane nor Milind converted, and the collapse handed MINY an effortless win. 

Recent Batting Form Across Both Sides

TSK vs SF MLC 2026 Batters: Faf’s Return Is the Variable 

Faf du Plessis is MLC’s all-time leading run-scorer. He became the oldest male T20 centurion in history at 41 years and 340 days when he hit 113 not out off 52 balls against Seattle Orcas in Match 1 at a strike rate of 217.31, winning Player of the Match. Against SFU in Match 4, he made 6 from 7 before being caught off Brody Couch. He missed Match 7 with Devon Ferreira captaining, and the reason hasn’t been confirmed publicly. 

When Faf is available and scoring, TSK has a platform. When he isn’t, the last two matches show exactly how quickly the batting collapses. 

Pretorius Has Already Beaten TSK Once This Season 

Lhuan-dre Pretorius made 69 not out off 55 balls at a strike rate of 125.45 against TSK in Match 4, 8 fours and a six, collecting Player of the Match as SFU won by 7 wickets. In Match 2, he hit 58 off 28 at 207.14 with 5 sixes against the LA Knight Riders. Two modes, both effective, and TSK haven’t found an answer to either. 

The 20-year-old holds a Test century on debut (153 vs Zimbabwe, 28 June 2025) and was SA20’s leading run-scorer in 2025 with Paarl Royals (397 runs). SFU leads this head-to-head 4-1 across five meetings, and Pretorius is a large part of why. 

The Oakland Coliseum Pitch Question 

Match 8 is Oakland Coliseum’s first MLC 2026 fixture; TSK’s previous three games this season were all at Grand Prairie, Dallas. The drop-in surface is the same unit used at Nassau County International Stadium during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where it was criticised as slow and low-scoring. By the 2025 MLC season, it was reportedly playing truer, though no 2026 pitch report exists yet. 

The TSK vs SF MLC 2026 Batters contest in Oakland comes down to who reads the surface first. On current form, SFU’s top order doesn’t need long.    

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FAQ

Why did the Texas Super Kings lose to MI New York in MLC 2026?

TSK were bowled out for 158 after Trent Boult took two powerplay wickets and Corbin Bosch finished 4 for 29, the last four wickets falling for 25 runs. MI New York won by 8 wickets, Nicholas Pooran making 68 not out and Monank Patel 46. 

Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?

Pretorius is a 20-year-old South African left-handed wicketkeeper-batter who became the youngest South African to hit a Test century on debut, scoring 153 against Zimbabwe on 28 June 2025. He was SA20’s leading scorer with Paarl Royals in 2025 (397 runs) and is signed with San Francisco Unicorns for MLC 2026. 

What is the Oakland Coliseum pitch like for cricket?

The Oakland Coliseum drop-in pitch drew criticism for being slow and difficult during the 2024 T20 World Cup at Nassau County International Stadium. By the 2025 MLC season, it was reportedly playing truer, with no 2026 pitch report yet available. 

What is Faf du Plessis’s MLC 2026 record?

Faf scored 113 not out off 52 balls in Match 1, made 6 against SFU in Match 4, and missed Match 7. He is MLC’s all-time leading run-scorer with approximately 1,053 career runs and the oldest male T20 centurion in history at 41 years and 340 days.