An unbeaten 93-run partnership between Sam Curran and Nicholas Pooran cast aside any doubts over an opening day hiccup for three-time winners MI London, who defeated Sunrisers Leeds by 7 wickets.
The latter romped to a 22-ball 58*, while skipper Curran re-established why he's one of the most decorated players in the competition's history with 60 (39) and 2-27 from his set of 15.
Lack of partnerships hurt Sunrisers
In what is one of the most tantalizing opening pairs in Ryan Rickelton and Mitchell Marsh, the visitors looked like they were off to a big total when Rickelton smashed three sixes in the space of five deliveries.
Marsh took his time to find his stride but ended up with a well-constructed 27-ball 41.
Harry Brook lofted Rashid Khan for six before holing out to Nathan Sowter at deep midwicket the very next ball. It was the Sowter-Rashid combination deployed at the crease as soon as the England white-ball skipper walked in.
And what followed were wickets at key intervals, with Richard Gleeson's (19-9-25-4) hit-the-deck stuff proving a handful for the Sunrisers middle order.
So much so, that it was Tom Alsop's 31 of 18 that took them to a fighting total.
It's a problem Zak Crawley's side will have to solve in the tournament moving forward, as the captain himself averages nearly 30 in the Hundred but finds himself batting out of position to fill in the team balance.
Sam Curran steadies the MI London ship
Brydon Carse missed the recently-concluded IPL, where he represents the same franchise, due to an injury to his bowling hand. So, to see him clock 90 mph consistently in his opening burst was a positive sign - for both the Sunrisers and England.
Crawley decided to hand him a 10-ball spell and he rewarded his skipper the very next ball with a pacy angled-in delivery that Will Jacks tried to hack across the line, only spooning it to extra cover.
Two balls later, he would remove Jason Roy with extra zip off the surface that went straight to Marsh at slip.
And when Nathan Ellis castled James Vince's middle stump, leaving MI London lurching at 51/3 after 44 deliveries, in walked Sam Curran.
He bid his time early on, striking at run-a-ball in his first 17 balls. Pooran played the aggressor, before both of them unleashed their full range of shots, smacking eight maximums together.
MI London completed the run chase with 16 balls to spare, a feat that appeared rather challenging after the initial loss of wickets.
What next for both teams?
Both sides will resume duties on Saturday, July 25.
Sunrisers will welcome Southern Brave to Headingley, while MI London prepare for a trip to Cardiff to lock horns with Welsh Fire.
