Shreyas Iyer, Aditya Tare star in Falcons' first win in T20 Mumbai League 2026
Mumbai, June 4
India star Shreyas Iyer and veteran wicketkeeper-batter Aditya Tare led SOBO Mumbai Falcons to their first win of the Nuvama Private T20 Mumbai League 2026, propelling their side to a three-wicket victory over MSC Maratha Royals despite a late scare at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Coming in as the Impact Player, Iyer carried forward the momentum generated by the openers with a fluent 30 off 24 balls, striking two fours and as many sixes, according to a press release.
His innings came after stand-in Tare blazed away to 42 off just 19 balls while his opening partner Ishan Mulchandani contributed 29 off 24 in a 57-run opening stand. The contributions from the top three helped the Falcons race to 106 in 12 overs.
However, Iyer's dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse as the Falcons squandered their dominant start. The Siddhesh Lad-led Royals struck repeatedly, claiming four wickets for just 21 runs to momentarily bring themselves back into the contest.
With the asking rate beginning to climb and pressure mounting, Gautam Waghela held his nerve and anchored the chase with an unbeaten 23-ball 26, guiding the Falcons home with five balls to spare.
Earlier, opening alongside skipper Lad, Sahil Jadhav held the MSC Maratha Royals innings together with a defiant half-century despite wickets tumbling regularly at the other end. He struck five fours and three sixes during his 30-ball 52, ensuring that the scoreboard kept ticking even as partnerships remained hard to come by.
The defending champions crawled to the 100-run mark only in the 14th over, with Chinmay Sutar's 23 the only other notable contribution in the top order. Left-arm spinner Yash Dicholkar then tightened the screws by removing Sahil and Tushar Deshpande within five deliveries to derail the innings further.
Although Arjun Dani (35) attempted a late rescue act, supported briefly by Rohan Raje (10), Dicholkar struck again to keep the scoring rate in check. Arjun's late flourish eventually lifted the Royals to 152/9, but the total ultimately proved insufficient.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, Onkar Tarmale's brilliant hat-trick went in vain as Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburb pipped Eagle Thane Strikers by one run in an edge-of-the-seat thriller.
Later in the day, Suryakumar Yadav's Triumph Knights Mumbai North East will take on Suved Parkar-led Bandra Blasters at the same venue. Both sides will be eager to open their account in the tournament.
Brief Scores: MSC Maratha Royals 152/9 in 20 overs (Sahil Jadhav 52, Arjun Dani 35, Chinmay Sutar 23; Akash Parkar 3/22, Yash Dicholkar 3/25) lost to SOBO Mumbai Falcons 156/6 in 19.1 overs (Aditya Tare 42, Shreyas Iyer 30, Ishan Mulchandani 29; Maxwell Swaminathan 2/24) by three wickets.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Loving the local league action! It's amazing how these Mumbai tournaments keep producing talent. Aditya Tare showing he's still got it with that 42 off 19 🔥 Shreyas Iyer's cameo was classy too. This is how cricket should be played - aggressive and entertaining!
Typical Mumbai cricket - never over till it's over! 🔥 That collapse from 106/1 to 127/5 shows how quickly momentum can shift in T20s. Yash Dicholkar with 3/25 was the real star for Falcons though, he set up the win with those wickets in the middle overs. Well played by both sides.
Missed this league's matches but great to see local talent shine! Sahil Jadhav's 52 was under pressure - he single-handedly got them to 152. Still not enough against a powerful batting lineup. I hope these smaller leagues get more coverage, they're crucial for bench strength.
These Mumbai T20 leagues are becoming a great breeding ground for domestic talent. The way Sahil Jadhav built his innings despite wickets falling - pure determination. And that final over drama with Waghela... that's what T20 is all about. Onkar Tarmale's hat-trick in the earlier match too - what a day of cricket!
So happy to see Aditya Tare still smashing it! That guy has been a rock for Mumbai cricket for years. And Shreyas Iyer showing why he's an international player - even 30 off 24 looks effortless when he times it like that. Falcons should have won bigger though,
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