Future Star U15 C'ship: Ekam Deep's 71 and Uttkarsh's all-round show seal Day 3 wins
Gazibadad, June 27
Day 3 of the Future Star Under-15 Championship brought two results in full. Flying Fire Delhi Chargers chased down Sonipat Kings with five balls to spare, and Noida Blaze posted 195 before beating Gurugram Vipers by 42 runs in a game that also featured a hat-trick from Chirag Luhach.
Bhuvnesh Kumar's unbeaten fifty steers Flying Fire Delhi Chargers home: Sonipat Kings batted first and made 151 for 8, with Naitik Yadav top-scoring on 43 and Uttkarsh taking 3 for 27. Flying Fire Delhi Chargers chased it down with five balls to spare, Uttkarsh making 45 with the bat and Bhuvnesh Kumar finishing unbeaten on 55 off 38 to seal a five-wicket win, according to a release.
Brief scores: Flying Fire Delhi Chargers 152/5 in 19.1 overs (Bhuvnesh Kumar 55*, Uttkarsh 45; Naitik Yadav 1/18, Kartik Atri 1/22) beat Sonipat Kings 151/8 in 20 overs (Naitik Yadav 43, Tanishq Kumar 29; Uttkarsh 3/27, Raunak Bhatia 2/34) by 5 wickets.
Player of the Match: Uttkarsh (45 and 3 for 27)
Chirag Luhach hat-trick in vain as Noida Blaze beat Gurugram Vipers: Noida Blaze piled up 195 for 9, built around Ekam Deep's 71 off 42 and quickfire runs from Naitik Bhati (45) and Saksham Aswal (30). Chirag Luhach gave Gurugram Vipers hope with a hat-trick, dismissing Dev Nagar, Ayush Maurya and Archit in three balls to finish with 3 for 23, but the target proved too steep. Gurugram Vipers were bowled out for 153 in 19.3 overs despite Amogh Sirohi's 38, handing Noida Blaze a 42-run win.
Brief scores: Noida Blaze 195/9 in 20 overs (Ekam Deep 71, Naitik Bhati 45; Chirag Luhach 3/23, Amogh Sirohi 1/28) beat Gurugram Vipers 153 all out in 19.3 overs (Amogh Sirohi 38, Ayan Ali 31; Dev Nagar 3/17, Sufiyan 2/30) by 42 runs.
Player of the Match: Ekam Deep (71 off 42)
Day 4 on 27 June pits Karim Capital Chargers against Jayqoo Panthers Faridabad, followed by Bahadurgarh Royals against Meerut Spartans.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Bhuvnesh Kumar's unbeaten 55 to chase down 152 with five balls to spare - that's the kind of cool head you want in a pressure chase. But honestly, 151/8 feels like Sonipat Kings left a few runs out there. Naitik Yadav's 43 was decent but the middle order collapsed after he got out. Flying Fire Delhi Chargers seem to have a solid all-round unit. These U15 championships are a great platform for future stars!
Chirag Luhach taking a hat-trick but still losing - that's so painful! 😅 3 for 23 in a T20 is usually match-winning, but when your team concedes 195, it's an uphill battle from ball one. Ekam Deep and Naitik Bhati really set the stage for Noida Blaze. Loving the competitive spirit in this U15 tournament. More youngsters should get such exposure early on. Future of Indian cricket looks bright!
Uttkarsh is the real MVP of Day 3 - 45 runs and 3 wickets! That's the kind of performance that wins you tournaments. I hope he gets proper coaching and guidance from here. These U15 championships are so important for grassroots development. Also, glad to see Bhuvnesh Kumar finishing the chase - not easy when you come in at that stage. Well played, boys! 🙌
These young cricketers are giving us a glimpse of India's future batting depth. Ekam Deep's 71 with a strike rate of 169 is exactly what modern cricket demands. But I'm also impressed by Dev Nagar taking 3/17 for Noida Blaze - containing Gurugram Vipers to 153 after they had to chase 196 shows great discipline. Looking forward to the Bahadurgarh Royals vs Meerut Spartans
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.