Mumbai: In a marquee showdown between India’s white-ball stars, Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons edged out Suryakumar Yadav’s Triumphs Knights Mumbai North East by four wickets in a tense T20 Mumbai League match here on Friday.
Put in to bat, the Knights struggled on a pitch offering seam movement, managing 145/5. The Falcons completed the chase with four balls to spare.
After a shaky start and Suryakumar’s early dismissal for 1 by Kartik Mishra, opener Siddhant Adhatrao held firm with a gritty half-century. He shared a 46-run stand with Suryansh Shedge before falling to Nikhil Giri.
Suryansh (49 off 21) and Makarand Patil (13) provided a late flourish, stitching an unbeaten 33-run partnership in the final overs.
The Falcons’ reply began on a shaky note with Hitesh Kadam removing Ishan Mulchandani and Shreyanssh Rai off successive balls. But Iyer (13) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi steadied the innings with a 54-run stand before the former was trapped LBW by Parikshit Valsangkar.
Vinayak Bhoir (33) and Akash Parkar (30) then took control with a 56-run partnership that brought the Falcons within striking distance. Though Bhoir perished while accelerating, Parkar and Kush Kariya held their nerve to see the Falcons home at Wankhede Stadium.
Bandra Blasters pip Aakash Tigers by 1 run
Bandra Blasters clinched a thrilling one-run win over Aakash Tigers in the day’s opening match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai..
Led by a sharp spell from pacer Dhanit Raut (4/29), the Blasters overcame a gritty chase anchored by veteran opener Jay Bista’s half-century.
Chasing a modest 154, Aakash Tigers were rocked early, losing their top four for just 20 runs. However, opener Bista staged a spirited fightback with a brisk 48-ball 55, featuring four fours and two sixes, to revive hopes.
But once Dhanit Raut dismissed the in-form batter, the Tigers struggled to keep up with the required rate and eventually fell short, finishing at 152/8.
Put in to bat, Bandra Blasters recovered from a poor start to post 153. Om Keshkamat anchored the innings with 40, while Dhrumil Matkar chipped in 33. For the Tigers, left-arm spinner Shams Mulani was the standout performer, picking up 3/12 in a tidy spell.
