For the first time, three batsmen scored centuries in the same men’s T20 match as Washington Freedom completed the most successful chase in T20 history by defeating defending champions MI New York by six wickets in Eliminator 1 of MLC 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday.Nicholas Pooran, Andries Goss and Steven Smith all reached three figures in a game that rewrote several T20 records. While Pooran scored a century in 31 balls – the fastest century in Major League Cricket history – Goss and Smith responded with centuries each in 40 balls, as the Freedom chased 267 to book a place in Eliminator 2, where they would face the San Francisco Unicorns. The winner will take on LA Knight Riders in the MLC 2026 final.For most of the evening, MI looked set for a New York win after Pooran and Kieron Pollard dominated the Freedom attack. Pollard also crossed the mark of 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket during his innings of 64 runs in 25 balls, while Pooran took his team in complete control by storming the bowling.However, the game turned after the magic of Rachin Ravindra’s ball. Introduced when MI New York was 211 for 3 after 13 overs, Ravindra took 4 for 28 despite bowling only the 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th overs. His wicket slowed down the scoring as MI New York ended at 266 for 9 rather than making an even bigger score.Washington Freedom, chasing the target, got off to a bad start as Shakib Al Hasan took two hits with the new ball in their first two overs, leaving them at 10 for 2. From there, Goss and Smith took control.The pair played each other shot for shot and added 241 runs in just 89 balls for the third wicket, which is the joint second highest partnership for any wicket in men’s T20 cricket. Both completed their centuries in 40 balls.Freedom eventually completed the chase of 267, which is the most successful run chase in T20 history, surpassing Punjab Kings’ target of 265 against Delhi Capitals in the IPL earlier this year.The match also became the first men’s T20 match to have three individual centuries. Goss and Smith’s centuries while chasing are only the second instance of two batsmen scoring centuries while chasing in a T20 match. Pooran and Smith became the fourth pair of captains to score centuries in the same men’s T20 game.