Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20: Siddharth Akhil's unbeaten ton powers Coastal Kings to thrilling win over Hubli Tigers
Bengaluru, July 6
Riding on an unbeaten century by Siddharth Akhil, the Coastal Kings Mangaluru scored an edge-of-the-seat three-wicket victory over the Hubli Tigers to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts alive in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday evening.
Chasing a stiff target of 214, the Coastal Kings were in deep trouble at 82-5 in 8.4 overs with opener Nikin Jose (27, 13 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) and captain Karun Nair (11, 7 balls, 1 six) back in the pavilion.
But a young and talented Siddharth Akhil, coming in at No, 4, turned the tide single-handedly with a brave innings of 104 runs in 51 balls with four fours and 10 sixes. Needing seven runs off the last over, Akhil, son of the former cricketer Balachandra Akhil, struck a mighty six off the second ball to not only take his side to a thrilling and deserving victory but also complete his maiden Maharaja Trophy century.
Stringing together small but vital partnerships with the lower-order batsmen, the stylish left-hander rebuilt the innings. A 27-ball 58 with Prithviraj Shekhawat (18, 14 balls, 2 fours) for the seventh wicket put the Coastal Kings firmly back on track, and a decisive 32-ball 66 with Dheeraj Gowda (30, 15 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) got them over the line.
With their fourth victory in nine matches, the Coastal Kings took their points tally to nine and moved into third on the table with a match to spare.
For the Hubli Tigers, the result marks the end of their campaign as their sixth defeat from 10 matches leaves them at the bottom of the table on six points.
Earlier, Taha's century was the highlight of the Tigers' innings. Put into bat, the Tigers made a flying start, adding 69 runs in the power play and 114 runs for no loss by the 10th over. Openers Taha and Hardik Raj made their intentions very clear right from the beginning, losing no opportunity to score big.
Playing attacking strokes to all corners of the wicket, the duo added 162 runs in 90 balls before Raj retired in the 15th over with 66 runs in 39 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) to let the middle order step on the pedal, but the Tigers only lost momentum and managed 51 runs in the final five overs.
Brief scores:
Hubli Tigers 213/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Raj ret 66, Mohammed Taha 114; Santokh Singh 2-14) lost to Coastal Kings Mangaluru 215/7 in 19.2 overs (Nikin Jose 27, Siddharth Akhil 104 not out, Dheeraj Gowda 30 not out; Shikhar Shetty 3-30; Aditya Goyal 3-41) by four wickets.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, Hubli Tigers must be heartbroken. Taha's 114 and Hardik's 66, and still they lose! 😤 The bowling attack needs serious work. But full credit to Coastal Kings for never giving up, especially Siddharth's maiden century in the tournament. This is what makes KSCA T20 exciting!
Siddharth Akhil is the find of the season! Coming from a cricketing family, he's showing maturity beyond his years. The way he paced the innings with Prithviraj and Dheeraj was superb. But I feel for Taha - scoring 114 and still ending up on the losing side is cruel. 😞
The Maharaja Trophy is proving to be a fantastic platform for young talent. Siddharth Akhil's 10 sixes! 😱💥 And that last over - needing 7 runs and smashing a six off the second ball - that's a champion's mentality. But Hubli Tigers' bowling in the death overs was disappointing. They needed someone to step up.
What a match! Coastal Kings were looking dead and buried at 82-5, but that's why you never write off teams in T20. Siddharth Akhil's innings was a masterclass in calculated aggression. The partnership with Dheeraj Gowda (32-ball 66) turned the game. However, I think Hubli Tigers' decision to retire Hardik Raj at 66 might have backfired - they lost momentum in the last 5 overs.
So thrilled for Sidd
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