Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20: Hubli Tigers beat Mysuru Warriors, crowned champions

Md. Taha hammered 72 off 40 balls while Manish Pandey blasted an unbeaten 50 off 44 balls as Hubli prevailed over Mysuru in a final that went down to the wire, keeping the boisterous fans in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on the edge of their seats. 

Despite a second-ball duck for Luvnith Sisodia, opener Md. Taha (72 off 40 balls) and KL Shrijith (38) ensured there wasn’t a shortage of runs in the Power-play as they scored 59 runs in the six overs laced with seven fours and two sixes after they were asked to bat by the Mysuru Warriors in the all-important title clash.

The 89-run partnership which came in 59 balls was broken by Jagadeesha Suchith who got rid of K.L. Shrijith in the 12th over after he had scored 38 off 31 balls. 

Taha went on to bring up yet another half-century in 27 balls before he was dismissed by Kushaal Wadhwani in the 14th over at the end of which the score read 124-3. 

Skipper Manish Pandey wasted no time in finding boundaries taking Wadhwani for two sixes and a four in the 16th over.

Sanjay Ashwin (16) was retired out and Praveen Dubey (4) was dismissed for just 4 runs, but a couple of sixes from the bat of Manvanth Kumar (14) aided Pandey in keeping the momentum going as the Hubli Tigers added 75 runs in the final five overs. Pandey stayed unbeaten and reached his half-century off the final ball of the innings as the team finished on 203/8 in 20 overs.

Chasing 204 for the title, the Mysuru Warriors put the Hubli bowlers on the backfoot straightaway scoring 56 runs in the first five overs before S.U. Karthik (28) was bowled by Mitrakanth Yadav in the sixth over, bringing skipper Karun Nair (37) out to accompany Ravikumar Samarth (63).

The wicket slowed the flow of runs as Mysuru scored just one four and a six each in the next five overs reaching 91-1 at the halfway mark. Ravikumar Samarth brought up his fifty with a boundary off Praveen Dubey reaching the landmark in 30 deliveries. 

A brilliant run out by Manvanth Kumar off his own bowling saw the back of Samarth in the 12th over. Karun Nair struck four boundaries before he was dismissed in the same over by KC Cariappa, at the end of which Mysuru required 69 from seven overs.

K.S Lankesh (13), Manoj Bhandage (0) and CA Karthik (18) were dismissed in the 16th, 17th and 18th overs respectively as Mysuru needed 26 from the last two overs.

Manvanth Kumar’s brilliant final over under pressure defending 12 runs while picking two wickets and an unbelievable flying effort from Manish Pandey saving a certain six proved to be a game-changer as the Hubli Tigers went on to clinch the title having beaten the Mysuru Warriors by 8 runs.

Brief scores:

Hubli Tigers 203/8 in 20 overs (Mohammed Taha 72, Manish Pandey 50 not out, Krishnan Shrijith 38; CA Karthik 2-33, Jagadeesha Suchith – 1-24) beat Mysuru Warriors 195/8 in 20 overs (Ravikumar Samarth 63, Karun Nair 37, SU Karthik 28; Manvanth Kumar L. 3-32, Vidhwath Kaverappa 2-40) by 8 runs.