Jammu: Jammu Sultans edged past Rajouri Leopards while Samba Jets defeated Jammu Wolves in the ongoing YSS–JKSC Cricket Premier League at the M A Stadium in Jammu on Saturday.
In the first match of the day, Jammu Sultans defeated Rajouri Leopards by seven runs. Batting first, Jammu Sultans were all out for 125 runs in 18 overs, with wicketkeeper-batsman Anshul top-scoring with 45 runs. For Rajouri Leopards, Piyush Sharma and Ishtiyak Rasool picked up three wickets each.
Chasing the target, Rajouri Leopards managed 118/9, falling short by seven runs. Skipper Bilal Ahmed scored 62 runs for the Leopards, while Akash was declared ‘Player of the Match’ for taking four wickets. Gourav Koul also contributed with three wickets.
In the second match, Samba Jets defeated Jammu Wolves by six wickets. Batting first, Jammu Wolves posted 119/9 in 17 overs, with Majid Hussain top-scoring with 31 runs, while Rahil Sambyal claimed three wickets.
In reply, Samba Jets chased the target comfortably, scoring 122/4 in just 11 overs. Sambyal followed up his bowling performance with the bat, scoring 44 runs, while Romi contributed 43 runs. For Jammu Wolves, Imran and skipper Rahul Mulan took two wickets each.
Earlier, in the opening match of the tournament on Friday, Jammu Tigers defeated Jammu Wolves by six wickets. Jammu Wolves had scored 136/9 in 20 overs, with Ankush Bandral making 35 runs. Anchal Singh, Paras Sharma and Jaddu took two wickets each for Jammu Tigers. In reply, Jammu Tigers chased the target, scoring 137/4 with Akash Choudhary top-scoring with 71 runs.
The YSS–JKSC Cricket Premier League, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council under the aegis of the Department of Youth Services and Sports, began at the M A Stadium in Jammu.
The tournament was inaugurated by Minister for Youth Services and Sports Satish Sharma, who unveiled the trophy along with India cricketer and former J&K captain Parvez Rasool and distributed jerseys among participating teams. Secretary J&K Sports Council Nuzhat Gul and other officials were also present.
A total of 18 teams are participating in the league, which carries a prize purse of ₹3 lakh for the winners and ₹1.5 lakh for the runners-up. The ‘Man of the Series’ will receive a cash award of ₹20,000.
Matches are being played under floodlights at the M A Stadium and are also being live-streamed for cricket fans across Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Sports Minister Satish Sharma described J&K’s recent Ranji Trophy triumph as a historic milestone and said it reflects the immense sporting talent present in the Union Territory.
He also announced upcoming sporting events in Jammu, including a Football Premier League at the Mini Stadium, a national-level cyclothon and a volleyball league aimed at expanding opportunities for youth in the region.
