Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20: Young Vaibhav Sharma bowls Hubli Tigers to fine victory
Hubballi, June 29
Hubli Tigers bounced back in style following back-to-back losses in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, comprehensively beating Gulbarga Mystics by 10 wickets in Hubballi on Monday.
In a match reduced to 15 overs a side due to rain, the Tigers first restricted the Mystics to 139 in 15 overs, thanks to some fabulous left-arm swing bowling by young Vaibhav Sharma (3-9).
In reply, the Tigers, true to their name, pounced on every bad delivery to score big and eventually made very short work of the 140-run target. Openers Mayank Agarawal and the consistent Mohammed Taha both completed aggressive and unbeaten half-centuries to finish the job, reaching 143 for no loss in 12.1 overs.
The 35-year-old veteran star Agarawal, in particular, was at his fluent best and provided glimpses of his greatness with an attacking unbeaten 81 off 38 balls, studded with eight fours and five sixes. Taha was equally opportunistic and continued his good run with another half-century despite a wrist injury (57 not out, 35 balls, 4 fours, 4 sixes).
Earlier, the 19-year-old Vaibhav Sharma did all the damage, claiming the top three Mystics' batters with only 28 runs on the board. He dismissed the Mystics opener B R Sharath (2) with his first ball and then did even better, catching and bowling the other opener Lochan Gowda (6) a ball later.
The youngster got rid of Prakhar Chaturvedi off the first ball of his second over to complete a match-winning spell. The mystics did not recover from there, though Thippa Reddy (51, 34 balls, 6x4, 2x6) and Macneil Noronha (10) added a 31-ball 30 for the fourth wicket.
Captain Manish Pandey (35 not out, 20 balls, 3 sixes) played another inspired knock to shore the innings to 139, adding a 24-ball 44 for the fifth wicket. But in the end, it proved too little too late.
For Hubli Tigers, it was their second victory in five matches, and they moved to fourth position on five points. Though the Mystics suffered their third loss, they stay third with six points.
Brief scores:
Gulbarga Mystics 139/6 in 15 overs (Thippa Reddy 51, Manish Pandey 35 not out; Vaibhav Sharma 3-9) lost to Hubli Tigers 143 for no loss in 12.1 overs (Mayank Agarawal 81 not out, Mohammed Taha not out 57) by 10 wickets.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Mayank Agarawal is just too good! 81 off 38 balls with 5 sixes 🔥. Really happy to see him back in form, he has that class about him which can demolish any bowling attack. But we must also appreciate Mohammed Taha - scoring 57 not out despite a wrist injury shows real grit. This opening pair is looking solid for Hubli Tigers now.
That spell by Vaibhav Sharma in the first over - taking two wickets in consecutive balls - completely changed the match. I was watching live and couldn't believe my eyes when he caught and bowled Lochan Gowda on his second ball! Such composure for a 19-year-old. Karnataka's bench strength is incredible, we keep producing quality fast bowlers. 👌
While Hubli Tigers played brilliantly, I feel Gulbarga Mystics could have done better. Losing three wickets for just 28 runs in the powerplay was always going to be tough. But credit to Manish Pandey - 35 not out off 20 balls with 3 sixes showed his experience. However, the bowling attack was too weak to defend 139, especially against someone like Mayank on form. Need better planning for the middle overs.
This is why I love domestic T20 tournaments like Maharaja Trophy - you get to see young talents like Vaibhav Sharma bowling to experienced players like Mayank Agarawal and Manish Pandey. The future of Indian cricket looks bright! Hope Vaibhav gets picked up in IPL auctions next year. "Chak de India" 🏏💪
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