Shivam Dube's late blitz powers Arcs Andheri into T20 Mumbai League 2026 final
Mumbai, June 11
Skipper Shivam Dube led from the front with a match-winning unbeaten knock as Arcs Andheri stormed into the final of the T20 Mumbai League 2026 with a five-wicket victory over Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs in the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
After producing a disciplined bowling display to restrict the Tigers to 150/7, Andheri overcame a few hiccups in the chase before Dube's late fireworks guided them home with nine balls to spare.
Chasing 151, Andheri suffered an early setback when Musheer Khan was dismissed for a duck with just one run on the board. Opener Divyaansh Sksena and Arjun Tendulkar then steadied the innings with a 41-run partnership for the second wicket. However, Shams Mulani struck twice to swing the momentum back in favour of the Tigers, first removing Tendulkar (13) before dismissing the well-set Sksena for a brisk 34 off 16 balls, an innings featuring six fours and a six.
Prasad Pawar (26) and Pragnesh Kanpillewar (18) attempted to rebuild the chase with a valuable 40-run stand for the fourth wicket. Just as Andheri looked to be taking control, Ajit Yadav delivered a crucial double blow in the 13th over, dismissing both batters and reducing Andheri to 92/5.
With the chase hanging in the balance, Dube took charge. The Andheri skipper stitched together an unbroken 59-run partnership with Gaurav Jathar (11 not out) and finished unbeaten on 45 off just 26 deliveries, smashing five sixes and a four to seal his side's place in the final.
Earlier, six Andheri bowlers shared the wickets as they kept the Tigers' batting unit in check throughout the innings.
Opting to bat first, Tigers skipper Sarfaraz Khan provided an aggressive start with a 34-run knock off 17 balls, including six fours and a six. Opener Jay Bista added 35 off 33 deliveries, while Harsh Rane (13) and Ajit Yadav (12) chipped in with useful contributions.
However, the Tigers struggled to build substantial partnerships in the middle overs, with Saksham Parashar falling for a duck and the rest of the batting order failing to accelerate.
For Andheri, Ashutosh Ghagre was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/21, while Tendulkar, Dube, Ajay Mishra, Musheer and Prasun Singh claimed a wicket apiece.
Meanwhile, North Mumbai Panthers will take on MSC Maratha Royals in the second semi-final later tonight, with the winner advancing to Saturday's title clash.
Brief Scores: Aakash Tigers MWS 150/7 in 20 overs (Jay Bista 35, Sarfaraz Khan 34; Ashutosh Ghagre 2/21) lost to Arcs Andheri 151/5 in 18.3 overs (Shivam Dube 45 not out, Divyaansh Sksena 34; Ajit Yadav 2/23, Shams Mulani 2/23) by 5 wickets.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Nice to see Arjun Tendulkar contributing with both bat and ball - 13 runs and a wicket. The pressure of being Sachin's son must be immense but he's finding his feet. Dube's experience really showed in the clutch moment though. Hope Arjun gets a bigger knock in the final.
Excellent team effort by Andheri! Divyaansh Sksena's 34 off 16 was the foundation, and Dube finished it like a boss. But I do feel the Tigers missed a trick - Sarfaraz Khan's early wicket was crucial, but they should have rotated strike better in the middle overs. Anyway, bring on the final! 🏆
Dube's innings was pure entertainment! 5 sixes in a T20 chase - that's proper power-hitting. But I wonder about Musheer Khan's run of form - another duck today. He's a talented youngster but needs to convert starts. Andheri's depth saved them today, but the final will be a different test.
Great to see local Mumbai talent shining! The T20 Mumbai League is such a good platform for young cricketers. Dube's IPL experience clearly helped him in pressure situations. However, the Tigers' bowling was a bit one-dimensional - Shams Mulani bowled well but they missed a genuine quick bowler. Still, exciting final ahead! 🇮🇳
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