Ritesh Bhatkal's 75* powers Mysore Warriors to 3-wicket win over Gulbarga Mystics
Hubballi, July 3
Ritesh Bhatkal's unbeaten 75 in 42 balls was the highlight of Mysore Warriors three-wicket victory over Gulbarga Mystics Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 on Friday. It was another thriller with Bhatkal holding things together to steer the Warriors home in 19.3 overs.
Chasing 197, the 33-year-old dug deep into his reserves, pulled the team back from early hiccups (2/39) and remained unconquered with four fours and five sixes. He was aided by Manoj Bhandage (24 off 15) as the pair combined for 37 runs in 23 balls to seize control despite a strong showing from the Mystics attack led by Nathan D'Mello (3-38), Paras Gurbax Arya (2-24) and Ronit More (2-41), according to a press release.
The Warriors moved up out of the bottom berth with their third victory from eight matches and sit in fourth position on seven points while the Mystics are now below them on six points after their fifth loss.
The Mystics, put into bat, relied on disciplined batting before seamlessly shifting gears to steady the ship from 2-24 in 2.4 overs to a more manageable 147-5 in 16 overs. Young all-around No. 4 Dhruv Prabhakar and attacking No.5 Thippa Reddy batted with composure and added a 29-ball 56 for the fourth wicket to pull up the Gulbarga Mystics before Manish Pandey unleashed a late assault of 41 runs in only 19 deliveries with six fours and a six.
The Raichur-born Thippa Reddy (51 off 26) slammed his second successive half century studded with five fours and three sixes while the 21-year Dhruv also made the most of his promotion making a fluent 51 in 35 balls with six fours and a six.
For the Warriors, Arbind Rai and Lavish Kaushal were the most successful bowlers with 3-31 and 3-25 respectively.
Brief scores:
Gulbarga Mystics 196-7 in 20 overs (Macneil Noronha 27, Dhruv Prabhakar 51, Thippa Reddy 51, Manish Pandey 41 not out; Arbind Rai 3-31, Lavish Kaushal 3-25) lost to Mysore Warriors 197-7 (L R Chethan 23, Ritesh Bhatkal 75 not out , Lankesh KP 29, Manoj Bhandage 24; Nathan D'Mello 3-38, Paras Gurbax Arya 2-24, Ronit More 2-41.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Such a tight match! Thippa Reddy's back-to-back fifties are looking promising too. But the real hero was Bhatkal – he single-handedly dragged Mysore Warriors from a losing position. Arbind Rai's 3 wickets also deserve a shoutout. Great cricket all around! 🏏
Fantastic performance by Bhatkal, but I wish the Warriors' bowling was more consistent. 196 is a huge total to chase, and they nearly messed it up. Lavish Kaushal's 3-25 was crucial, but the rest of the bowlers need to step up if they want to make the playoffs.
Manish Pandey's 41 off 19 balls at the end shows he still has that fire! 🔥 And that partnership between Dhruv and Thippa – 56 in just 29 balls – that's the kind of intent we need to see more from Indian domestic players. Great advert for KSCA cricket.
Mystics bowlers did well – Nathan D'Mello with 3 wickets, Paras with 2, but they couldn't defend 196. That tells you how good Bhatkal was. Also, Thippa Reddy is a name to watch – 51 off 26 balls is serious hitting. Karnataka has no shortage of talent.
Incredible match! Bhatkal's 75* was a masterclass in finishing – five sixes and four fours, and he paced it perfectly. But I feel for the Mystics – they had the game in their hands after reducing Warriors to 39/2, but couldn't close it out. Their bowling
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