Table of Contents
MI London face Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, with both sides unbeaten after winning their tournament openers. MI London go in as defending champions, while Welsh Fire arrive with one of the most expensively assembled squads in the competition. In this preview you will find the match details, form, pitch report and two MIL vs WF fantasy team options, one safe and one for grand leagues.
For Indian viewers, the match starts at 10.30 PM IST, a 5.00 PM start in Cardiff.
MIL vs WF Match Details
Match: MI London vs Welsh Fire, 6th Match, The Hundred Men 2026
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
Time: 10.30 PM IST | 5.00 PM local, UK
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Streaming in India: JioHotstar
TV in India: Star Sports Network
Both Teams Are Unbeaten So Far
MI London opened their title defence with a win over Sunrisers Leeds, edging a tight finish by 1 run. Welsh Fire also won their opener, beating Southern Brave by 3 runs. That means both sides go into this match full of confidence, and it is a repeat of last year’s group meeting, which MI London, then Oval Invincibles, won comfortably.
MIL vs WF Points Table
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | NRR | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Fire | 1 | 1 | 0 | +0.291 | 4 |
| MI London | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1.421 | 4 |
MIL vs WF Head To Head
MI London, largely under their previous identity as Oval Invincibles, lead the head to head 4 wins to 0 across the last ten meetings between the two sides.
Squads
Welsh Fire: Phil Salt (c, wk), Joe Root, Jordan Cox, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Matthew Short, Rachin Ravindra, Benjamin Kellaway, Asa Tribe, Marco Jansen, Chris Woakes, Thomas Aspinwall, Jordan Clark, Lockie Ferguson, Sam Cook, Dillon Pennington
MI London: Sam Curran (c), Will Jacks, Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran (wk), James Vince, Tom Curran, Trent Boult, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope (wk), Olly Stone, Ollie Sykes, Callum Parkinson, Jason Roy
Sophia Gardens Pitch Report: Bowling First Heavily Favoured
Sophia Gardens has hosted 20 matches in The Hundred, with sides bowling first winning 70 percent of the time against just 30 percent for teams batting first, one of the more one-sided venue trends in the competition. The average first innings score of 129 backs this up, suggesting teams should look to bowl if they win the toss.
Sophia Gardens venue stats:
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| Matches | 20 |
| Won batting first | 30% |
| Won bowling first | 70% |
| Average 1st innings score | 129 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 121 |
| Highest total | 165/7 by London Spirit vs Welsh Fire |
| Highest chased | 165/7 by London Spirit vs Welsh Fire |
| Lowest defended | 165/4 by Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire |
Pace has taken 61 percent of wickets at this ground across the last 10 matches against 39 percent for spin, a split that should suit both attacks given their seam-heavy overseas options.
Cardiff Weather Report For MIL vs WF
Mostly cloudy conditions are expected, with humidity around 74 percent and temperature close to 16.2°C. Rain chance is very low at around 3 percent, so a full match is likely.
MIL vs WF Probable Playing XIs
Welsh Fire (probable): Jordan Cox, Phil Salt (c, wk), Joe Root, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Asa Tribe, Marco Jansen, Chris Woakes, Lockie Ferguson, Matthew Short, Sam Cook
MI London (probable): James Vince, Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Sam Curran (c), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran, Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Richard Gleeson, Olly Stone
Key Player Battles
Phil Salt vs Rashid Khan: Salt’s explosive powerplay hitting against Rashid’s control and variations is one of the standout individual contests of the round, and could set the tone for the whole match.
Joe Root vs Sam Curran: Root’s class against one of the format’s most skilled bowlers with the new ball is a real tactical battle that could shape Welsh Fire’s innings.
Marco Jansen vs MI London’s top order: Jansen’s pace and bounce give Welsh Fire an early wicket-taking threat, and how James Vince and Jason Roy handle him could decide who gets on top first.
MIL vs WF Fantasy Team (Small Leagues)
Wicketkeeper: Phil Salt (C)
Batters: Joe Root (VC), Nicholas Pooran, James Vince
All Rounders: Sam Curran, Marco Jansen
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Chris Woakes, Richard Gleeson
Salt is captain on the back of his explosive form at the top of the order, and Root takes the vice-captaincy as one of the most consistent batters in the competition. Curran and Jansen cover the all-round bases as both sides’ key contributors, and the bowling attack leans on the two standout spin and pace options in Rashid and Ferguson.
MIL vs WF Fantasy Team (Grand Leagues)
For grand leagues, this second MIL vs WF fantasy team brings in Jason Roy and Rachin Ravindra as lower-owned alternatives to the headline names.
Wicketkeeper: Ollie Pope — differential
Batters: Phil Salt (C), Jason Roy (VC) — differential, Tom Kohler-Cadmore — differential
All Rounders: Rachin Ravindra, Sherfane Rutherford
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Sam Cook — differential, Trent Boult, Thomas Aspinwall — differential
Roy and Kohler-Cadmore both offer upside without the ownership Root or Pooran are likely to draw. Sam Cook and Thomas Aspinwall are the wildcard bowling picks, both capable of a breakout performance on a ground that has heavily favoured bowling sides this season.
Also Read: BP vs TR Fantasy Team, 4th Match: Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report And Prediction
MIL vs WF Match Prediction
MI London arrive as defending champions with a dominant head to head record in this fixture and a squad that already looked settled in their opener. Welsh Fire counter with arguably the most expensively assembled squad in the competition, headlined by Salt, Root and Jansen, and their own narrow win in the opener shows they can handle pressure. MI London get the edge here on pedigree and recent history in this specific matchup, though Welsh Fire’s overseas depth means an upset is well within reach.
FAQs
Q. When is the MIL vs WF match?
A. Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, starting at 5.00 PM local time, which is 10.30 PM IST.
Q. Where can I watch MIL vs WF live in India?
A. The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network and streamed live on JioHotstar.
Q. Who is MI London’s captain?
A. Sam Curran captains MI London.
Q. Who is Welsh Fire’s captain?
A. Phil Salt captains Welsh Fire.
Q. Have both teams won a match this season?
A. Yes. Both MI London and Welsh Fire won their opening matches.