At the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 on Wednesday, the Bengaluru Blasters held their composure to defeat the Hubli Tigers by three wickets with four balls left in a low-scoring thriller.
After Rakshith S (61* off 42) led the Tigers with a half-century and four dismissals behind the stumps, Naveen MG’s (33* off 12) finishing touches and Suraj Ahuja’s (27* off 20) poise helped them surpass the 142-run mark.
Rakshith S made an impression behind the stumps with two catches and a stumping that left the Blasters reeling at 50/3 in 8.1 overs, causing them to falter early in their response to the Tigers. Ritesh Bhatkal trailed behind Rohan Patil, who was the first to go (1 out 7). KC Cariappa was stumped by Mayank Agarwal (11 off 11), who came next. Chethan LR (32 off 24), the opener, was similarly caught behind by Shreesha Achar after setting up for a strong knock with three fours and a six.
Despite not finding any help, Shubhang Hegde attempted to take the heat from the Tigers’ spinners. According to a press statement from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), impact player Bhuvan Raju (7 off 10) was also caught behind off Yashraj Punja, leaving the Blasters at 71/4 in 12 overs and forcing Suraj Ahuja to the middle.
Sankalp Shettenvar removed Shubhang Hegde in an attempt to clear the ropes when the necessary rate was approximately 10 in the last six overs. After that, Punja took two wickets in two balls, dismissing Madhav Bajaj (0 off 1) and Rohan Naveen (7 off 4).
Ahuja and Naveen MG were left needing 35 runs from 18 balls. In the 18th over, Naveen took two sixes off Punja to shift the tempo. In the penultimate over, he added a six and a four to reach 15. In 19.2 overs, the Blasters finally put an end to the pursuit.
The Hubli Tigers were forced to the back foot early in the first inning. They staggered to 36/3 at the end of the fielding limitations when Vidhyadhar Patil dismissed Prakhar Chaturvedi (9 off 12) and Devdutt Padikkal, and Shubhang Hegde dismissed Mohammed Taha (0) in the opening over.
Rakshith S (61* off 42) and KL Shrijith (20 off 24) put together a partnership of 28 runs in 25 balls, however the former was unable to convert his start. In the ninth over, Mohsin Khan removed him from the game. In the 14th over, Rohan Naveen dismissed Manvanth Kumar, who had similarly struggled for a run-a-ball of 16.
Rakshith S fought alone while the wickets fell all around him. He scored a half-century off of 37 balls after hitting Prateek Jain for two sixes and a four in a row. According to the KSCA press release, the over had 23 runs, making it the largest of the innings.
The Tigers were at 107/3 in 17 overs as Naveen MG made an impression by dismissing Abhinav Manohar (4 off 9) and Ritesh Bhatkal (1 off 2) in four deliveries. Rakshit S received two boundaries from KC Cariappa (13 off 8) before being removed in the last ball of the innings. With three fours and four sixes, Rakshith S maintained his undefeated record as the Tigers scored 141/8.
Brief scores: Bengaluru Blasters 145/7 in 19.2 overs (Naveen MG 33*, Suraj Ahuja 27; Yashraj Punja 3/34) vs. Hubli Tigers 141/8 in 20 overs (Shivkumar Rakshith 61*, KL Shrijith 20; Vidyadhar Patil 2/25).
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