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18th Match (Night) | MLC 2026 | LAKR vs TSK | Pomona, California | 3 July 2026
Andre Russell and Faf du Plessis have already gone head-to-head once before in MLC history, and Russell won that particular round with a full, swinging yorker that ended du Plessis for single figures. Match 18 in Pomona arrives with both men in very different form to that 2025 meeting, one coming off a genuine reset in his own numbers and the other chasing a piece of T20 history almost every single time he walks out to bat this season.
Russell’s 2026 bowling record reads three matches, three innings, eight wickets, an average of 9.62 and an economy of 9.05, figures that mark a genuine step up from earlier reports circulating about his season. His best figures of 4 for 35 came against MI New York in June, a spell his own franchise has described as his best T20 figures since a famous over that brought him five wickets for KKR.
What isn’t publicly broken down anywhere is how that economy splits across the powerplay and the death overs specifically, so his exact threat profile in the closing stages of an innings remains something of an unknown quantity heading into Pomona.
The head-to-head history between these two sides leans firmly toward Texas. Across four previous meetings, Texas Super Kings hold a 3-1 edge, with their best individual score in the fixture reaching 196 against LAKR’s best of 162.
| Russell (LAKR, bowler) | du Plessis (TSK, batter) | |
| 2026 season | 8 wickets, 3 innings | 331 runs, 9 matches |
| Average / Economy or SR | Avg 9.62, econ 9.05 | Avg 47.29, SR 162.25 |
| Best 2026 mark | 4/35 vs MI New York | 113* vs Seattle Orcas |
| 2025 head-to-head | Bowled du Plessis for 8 | Dismissed for 8 off 10 balls |
Russell has the more efficient recent bowling numbers, but du Plessis arrives with the bigger recent scoring output by a wide margin, and a personal history of raising his game against LAKR specifically.
Du Plessis leads TSK’s batting with 331 runs from nine matches this season at an average of 47.29 and a strike rate of 162.25, numbers that make him the clear anchor of their top order heading into the knockout stretch. His standout innings came in the tournament opener against Seattle Orcas, an unbeaten 113 off just 52 balls with 7 sixes and 9 fours while chasing 221 at Grand Prairie Stadium.
That knock made him the oldest men’s T20 centurion at 41, breaking a mark previously held by a former England captain, and it stands as TSK’s highest successful run chase and the second-highest in MLC history overall. It isn’t an outright T20 run-chase record in itself, but the age milestone attached to it is a genuine rarity in the format at any level of the game.
LAKR’s most recent outing ended badly. MI New York beat them by 41 runs, posting 144 for 6 built around an unbeaten 70 from Pooran, before LAKR collapsed from 53 without loss in the seventh over to 103 all out, Fletcher’s 44 the only real resistance in a chase that fell apart quickly.
Kenjige and Bosch shared the damage with figures of 3 for 21 and 3 for 26, and Bosch specifically bowled both captain Jason Holder and Russell for ducks in the same innings. That collapse, ten wickets for just 50 runs, is the form LAKR carry into Pomona rather than anything resembling real momentum.
Texas Super Kings aren’t riding high either. They briefly topped the table in late June after their third win, only to lose to Washington Freedom by a single wicket off the final ball, a match remembered for Akeal Hosein’s hat-trick being undone by Nikhil Chaudhary’s winning six. Seattle Orcas have since moved into top spot, at least for now.
With both franchises coming off defeats and no confirmed points-table picture ahead of the game, the LAKR vs Texas Super Kings MLC 2026 Match 18 player duel between Russell and du Plessis may end up mattering more for pride and personal history than for table position.
Who do you think comes out on top this time, Russell or du Plessis? Drop your prediction in the comments.
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FAQs
What are Andre Russell’s bowling stats in MLC 2026?
Russell has taken 8 wickets in 3 innings this season, averaging 9.62 with an economy of 9.05. His best figures are 4 for 35 against MI New York, with his death-overs economy not publicly available.
What is Faf du Plessis’ best score in MLC 2026?
An unbeaten 113 off 52 balls against Seattle Orcas in the tournament opener on 18 June. The innings included 7 sixes and 9 fours while chasing 221 at Grand Prairie Stadium.
Who is the captain of Los Angeles Knight Riders in MLC 2026?
Jason Holder captains LAKR this season. He was dismissed for a duck by Bosch in the side’s most recent defeat to MI New York, part of a wider batting collapse.
What is the head-to-head record between LAKR and Texas Super Kings?
Texas Super Kings lead the head-to-head 3-1 across four meetings. Their best individual score in the fixture stands at 196, against LAKR’s best of 162 in the reverse encounter.
What is the MLC 2026 points table position heading into Match 18?
No fully updated six-team table has been published ahead of this fixture. Seattle Orcas moved to top spot in late June after beating LAKR, with TSK dropping their last match to Washington Freedom.
