PAGARIYA Strikers batters unleashed brute power to bury Bharat Rangers under a mountain of runs. But Rangers too were up to the task. They showed nerves of steel and fought out hard till the last over. However, in the end it was Pagariya Strikers who grabbed the trophy narrowly winning the final. The VCA’s Jamtha Stadium was lit up with sixes and fours as both the sides unleashed their brute power to entertain a 30,000 plus crowd. Pagariya Strikers posted a huge 249-3 in 20 overs. Bharat Rangers chased the target till the end but managed to score 241-8 in 20 overs as Yash Kadam-led registered a narrow eight runs win. Rangers captain Atharva Taide went cheaply (9) followed by Vedant Jajoo who managed 26 with two boundaries and as many sixes. Aniket Pande, who was promoted up the order, could not make an impact as he got run out for 4. A lot was expected from Danish Malewar but he too perished on 9 going for a big hit. Manan Agrawal (67) and Jagjot Sasan (37), to some extent, held the fort with 63 runs for the fifth wicket but the latter’s wicket in the 12th over put Rangers in more trouble. Varun Bisht gave hope to Rangers with 21-ball 56. Needing 77 from 24, Bisht hit seven sixes and a four to bring the equation to 39 from 12 before he was caught in the 18th over. After him Hrushikesh Pawar slammed a six and a four to keep the run-rate in grasp.

 

However, needing 20 from Sanskar Chavate’s last over, Bharat Rangers could score 11 runs only. Earlier, it rained fours and sixes from Pagariya Strikers batters as they posted 249-3 in 20 overs. It was slaughter of lambs as Bharat Rangers bowlers failed to find any answers. Impact substitute Samarth (90*; 47b, 8x4, 4x6), opener Sheikh (70; 48b, 8x4, 2x6) and Kadam (73*; 19b, 4x4, 9x6) turned the tables scoring runs in boundaries and sixes. Sheikh and Samarth first bailed out their side from the initial trouble scoring 67-2 runs in powerplay. In the process they also completed 50 runs partnership for the third wicket in 29 deliveries and then completed the team’s 100 runs in 10 overs without any further damage. The next 10 overs were bloodshed as they picked 149 runs. Sheikh was the first to complete his half century in 35 deliveries, milking in six boundaries and a couple of sixes. Samarth too followed suit completing his fifty in 31 deliveries. The Vidarbha Pro’s knock was laced with six boundaries and a six. In the process, he also strengthened his grip on the Orange Cap, emerging as the highest run-getter of the tournament with 459 runs from 10 innings. Their partnership of 144 runs was finally broken by Bhute who got the wicket of Sheikh caught at mid-wicket by Danish Malewar in the 16th over.

 

However, Sheikh’s departure brought more trouble for Bharat Rangers bowlers as skipper Kadam and Samarth freed their arms hitting Shubham Kapse for 26 runs in an over with four sixes. Next over, Samarth sent the leather into the mid-wicket stands. Kadam then hit Kunal Kungwani for three sixes and a four to complete his half century from 15 balls which buried Bharat Rangers under a mountain of runs from where they could not rise.