Monank Patel's night of emotion and elegance

MLC 2025

By Smit Patel • June 20, 2025

It was an emotional experience for Monank Patel as he crafted a career-defining innings, scoring 93 runs off 50 balls against the Seattle Orcas. The performance resonated so deeply that even Heinrich Klaasen, the captain of the Orcas and a top-ranked white-ball batter, admitted to MI New York coach Mark Boucher that it was among the best innings he had ever witnessed in a chase.

Monank Patel hit eight fours and seven sixes on his way to a 50-ball 93 © Sportzpics

Monank effectively utilized his extensive experience on a challenging wicket. He demonstrated tactical precision in selecting shots against each bowler. While Klaasen's praise might seem generous considering the game's stakes and the Orcas' attack lacking superstar power, it reflected the impact of Monank's innings.

Klaasen's emotional assessment mirrored the sentiments of a young fan holding a hand-painted "Monank I love you" banner, and the broader American cricket community. One of their own had captivated the audience, overshadowing T20 stars like Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, and Kieron Pollard. Monank's innings wasn't only the highest score by a domestic batter, but also the most impressive knock by a domestic player in MLC history. This achievement was particularly significant, given that domestic batting has historically been a weakness in the league.

"This innings doesn't surprise me. Monank is a fantastic player," Boucher stated. "That's why he plays for the US as well. I have been watching him in the nets and haven't been with him for a long period of time. His innings against TSK showed me he knows how to score runs. He struggled upfront in the first game but he stuck it out and ended up scoring 50 in 30 odd balls which is exactly where you want to be as a top order batter. Today when he came in conditions were tough in the power play especially in the second innings. He stuck to the plan and really expressed himself after that and played some fantastic cricket shots all over the park."

Similar to the game against TSK, Monank avoided the temptation to aggressively start his innings during a significant chase. He acknowledged the challenging conditions, particularly the unpredictable bounce of the new ball. Notably, in the previous three days, 12 wickets had fallen in the second innings during the 18 overs of powerplay. His slow start, scoring 4 off 12 balls, served as a prelude to his explosive performance. The turning point was a remarkable shot: standing tall to powerfully strike a length ball on middle leg off Jasdeep Singh, sending it soaring over the midwicket boundary. "I liked the cover drive as well that followed it but that was a special shot for me" Monank said.

Despite his strength in hitting down the ground, Monank rarely resorts to unconventional shots behind square. However, this game was an exception. He executed the lap shot against Jasdeep and Obed McCoy, sending the ball for a six. Beyond the Midas touch displayed in his audacious lap shots, his success stemmed from his astute understanding of the conditions, keen awareness of the bowlers, and strategic shot selection, allowing him to explore scoring opportunities behind his back with calculated risks.

"When the bowler keeps bowling hard length after the power play and the pitch keeps up and down from length, I played that shot only to bowlers with height of 6 ft or above," Monank explained. "The ball was extracting variable bounce from tall bowlers. When I was being tested with bouncers, Boucher asked me why I was challenging the speed of the ball and looking to slap them in front of the wicket when the bounce becomes a tad unpredictable in the second innings. He asked me to use the bowlers' pace when you don't trust the wicket truly."

Monank's dominance in the chase was so pronounced that he reached 86 runs while Michael Bracewell played a supporting role with 26 runs in their partnership. The USA captain praised the Kiwi player, with whom he enjoys chasing runs. Their partnership has produced nearly 300 runs in three games: an 80-run stand in a practice match, a critical 97-run stand against Texas Super Kings, and a match-winning 119-run stand against the Orcas. This success may have influenced Bracewell's promotion ahead of Pooran in the batting order.

"Bracewell is amazing. Behind the scenes hero," Monank stated. "He knows what he needs to tell me, that is going to help me. He kept telling me to watch the ball hard, watch the ball hard. That takes you in the zone. That won't make you see the scoreboard too. Such a zone that you keep two shots ready for every delivery. That keeps you away from getting a single negative thought. Your mind never takes over you. Even if I miss he will come and praise me and finally he will say watch the ball hard every time. Reminds of my partnerships with Rashid last year."

The American captain concluded the season's final night at the Coliseum Stadium with a memorable performance. He also expressed his desire to represent the USA at the iconic venue in the future. Monank's affinity for the Coliseum awaits the USA chapter, offering a potential opportunity to rekindle those emotions.