Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20: Gopal's all-round efforts lead Coastal Kings Mangaluru to six-wicket victory
Mysuru, June 26
Karun Nair and Shreyas Gopal complemented each other to steer Coastal Kings Mangaluru to a six-wicket victory over Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament on Thursday.
The Coastal Kings were back in action less than 24 hours after losing to Bangalore Blasters by 20 runs on Wednesday. But they made light work of the fatigue factor with Nair and Gopal successfully chasing a 192-run target with a stunning and decisive 60-ball 123 run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The veteran duo, who have featured in many epic battles both for Karnataka and many franchises down the years, turned the tables after the Coastal Kings were reduced to 42-3 by the fifth over.
Nair, the top pick at Rs18 lakh in this year's auction, was at his flamboyant best, making a 32-ball 61 (6 fours, three sixes) before he got out going for another big hit.
But an undeterred Gopal stayed till the end with a fine match-winning unbeaten 84 (43 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixes). He had earlier claimed two wickets for 25 runs to underline his all-round credentials.
Earlier, put into bat, opener Chethan LR, who had scored a fine century in the previous match, was the main force for the Warriors' making an attacking 67 in 35 balls (4 fours, 6 sixes) to take his team to 191-9. Yuvraj Arora's 37 in 22 balls was the next-best score. V Koushik was the pick of the Coastal Kings bowling attack with a three-wicket haul.
It was Coastal Kings' second victory in four matches, and they moved to second spot on the table with five points while the Warriors suffered their third loss in four matches and stayed at the bottom on two points.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 191-9 in 20 overs (L R Chethan 67, Yuvraj Arora 37; Vasuki Koushik 3-43, Shreyas Gopal 2-25) lost to Coastal Kings Mangaluru 195-4 in 17.overs (Karun Nair 61, Shreyas Gopal 84; Arbind Kumar Rai 2-31) by six wickets.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great knock by Gopal but honestly, our batting collapses early on are becoming a worrying trend. 42/3 is not ideal in a chase. We need to work on our top order stability. Thank God for Nair and Gopal's experience or this could have been another loss.
Chethan LR again proving why he is the best batsman in the tournament! 67 off 35 balls is insane batting! Even though Mysore Warriors lost, Chethan's form is a huge positive. The Maharaja Trophy is really unearthing some great local talent. 🇮🇳
Koushik's three wickets were crucial but Gopal's all-round performance is what won the match. 84 not out and 2 wickets? That's the kind of performance that gets you noticed at the national level. Hopefully selectors are watching the Maharaja Trophy closely.
The atmosphere at the stadium must have been electric when that partnership was going on! 123 runs off 60 balls is just unbelievable hitting. Coastal Kings are looking strong now - second place on the table. Although wish Mysore Warriors could turn things around, they are last now. 😕
Some serious batting talent on display here! That chase of 192 in just 17 overs shows the attacking mindset of Indian domestic cricket. Nair and Gopal's experience really paid off. Makes me wish we had more coverage of domestic T20 leagues outside the IPL.
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