For the first time in four editions, Los Angeles Knight Riders reached the MLC final, edging San Francisco Unicorns by seven runs in a gripping Qualifier at the Oakland Coliseum. Colin Munro and Andre Russell laid the platform with composed fifties before Rovman Powell exploded with an unbeaten 15-ball 50, propelling Knight Riders to 187 for 3. Matthew Short's unbeaten 94 and Sanjay Krishnamurthi's 65 kept the Unicorns in the hunt through a 151-run third-wicket stand, but they ultimately fell just short and will now face the Eliminator winners in the Challenger.

The chase got off to the worst possible start for the Unicorns as Sunil Narine removed both Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Finn Allen in the opening over. Short responded with intent, striking four boundaries off Narine in the third over, before Carmi le Roux was taken for three fours in the fifth. Krishnamurthi then took the attack to Shadley van Schalkwyk, smashing two sixes and a four as the Unicorns raced to 62 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay. The pair continued to combine fluent strokeplay with smart strike rotation, taking the score to 95 for 2 at the halfway mark.

Short reached a 33-ball half-century, while Krishnamurthi brought up his fifty off 36 deliveries to keep the chase firmly on track, reducing the equation to 47 off the final four overs. Krishnamurthi's six off Andre Russell helped trim the target to 36 from 18 balls, but van Schalkwyk broke the crucial partnership by dismissing him, despite conceding 12 runs in the 18th over. Russell then delivered a superb penultimate over, giving away only six runs to leave the Unicorns needing 18 from the last over. Van Schalkwyk held his nerve, conceding just 10 to seal Knight Riders' place in the final.

Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Knight Riders made a cautious start, managing only 18 runs in the first four overs while losing Andre Fletcher to Short. Munro kickstarted the innings with two fours and two sixes off Ghulam Mudassar in the fifth over, helping Knight Riders recover to 48 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay. Russell then kept the scoreboard moving with regular boundaries, including a six off Haris Rauf, but Knight Riders were still only 77 for 1 after 10 overs, leaving plenty of work for the back end of the innings.

Munro registered his fifth half-century of the season before Russell launched another six off Rauf. Mudassar finally ended Munro's innings in the 15th over, breaking a 96-run stand with the score on 110 for 2. Russell reached his fifty with a six off Hassan Khan before adding a boundary, while Matthew Tromp chipped in with a six off Mudassar before falling soon after, leaving Knight Riders at 131 for 3 after 17 overs.

Powell then unleashed a breathtaking assault. He struck two fours off Xavier Bartlett before hammering four sixes in a 28-run over against Rauf. He capped off the innings with two more sixes off Bartlett and a single off the final ball to complete a stunning half-century and give Knight Riders the late surge that ultimately proved decisive.

Brief scores: Los Angeles Knight Riders 187/3 in 20 overs (Andre Russell 62* off 50, Colin Munro 51 off 44, Rovman Powell 50* off 15; Ghulam Mudassar 2-42) beat San Francisco Unicorns 180/4 in 20 overs (Matthew Short 94* off 62, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 65 off 47; Sunil Narine 2-28, Shadley van Schalkwyk 2-43) by 7 runs.