Key Points

Having won the toss, the Bengaluru Blasters bowled with precision, striking from the get-go, before a brilliant last-wicket 45-run partnership gave the Gulbarga Mystics something to defend. Once the bowlers were done, LR Chethan took centre stage and guided the Bengaluru Blasters over the line in the 15th over of the chase.

The Gulbarga Mystics were off to a quick start as Luvnith Sisodia smashed a couple of sixes off the very first over. That stung the Bengaluru Blasters, who roared back with three quick wickets before the end of the Power-play. Sisodia scored 13 off 9 balls before Vidyadhar Patil castled him, after which Nikin Jose was dismissed for 1 by Naveen MG, and Prajwal Pavan added 2 to the cause before Mohsin Khan had his number.

The Gulbarga Mystics were in a spot of bother and were looking to turn things around with Smaran Ravichandran (12 off 20 balls), who tried to absorb the pressure, but eventually walked back to the hut as Mohsin Khan accounted for him as well. KV Siddharth (5) and Praveen Dubey (1) were the next to depart, leaving the Mystics at 41/6 at the midway stage.

Prithviraj Shekhawat, who scored 8 off 21 deliveries, put on a 24-run stand for the seventh wicket along with Lavish Kaushal, before Rohan Naveen knocked him over. Younus Ali Baig (0) became Naveen’s second wicket for the night, whilst captain Vijaykumar Vyshak (1) was dismissed by skipper Shubhang Hegde.

The score read 67/9 for the Gulbarga Mystics, and that’s when Lavish Kaushal decided to go through the gears. He smashed five sixes and two boundaries and went on to score a brilliant 54 not out off 30 deliveries. Kaushal and Shashi Kumar K (8) put on a 45-run stand for the final wicket as the Gulbarga Mystics were bowled out for 112.

In response, the Bengaluru Blasters, who have been in very good batting form of late, started steadily, with openers LR Chethan and Rohan Patil looking good early on. The duo put on 16 in 3 overs before Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed Patil for 7 off 9 balls. After that, it was the LR Chethan show through the rest of the Power-play.

The right-handed batter took charge and scored freely. Chethan’s counterattack meant the Bengaluru Blasters finished the powerplay with the score at 53/2. Bhuvan Raju, who had walked in at one-drop, scored 2 before Monish Reddy dismissed him.

At this point, the Bengaluru Blasters, who had the momentum on their side, scored 22 runs in the sixth over. After that, the Gulbarga Mystics regrouped and struck – picking up crucial wickets. Shubhang Hegde went for 2 runs in the eighth over to Shashi Kumar K, after which Vijaykumar Vyshak picked off Suraj Ahuja (7), and Siddharth Akhil (0) of consecutive deliveries to end the ninth over.

LR Chethan, who had reached his half-century in the ninth over as well, had ensured the Bengaluru Blasters were not in danger, and at the halfway mark, the score read 80/5. From then on, LR Chethan had Rohan Naveen for company. The opener was the aggressor in the final phase of the match and finished with an unbeaten 75 off 48 balls, with 10 boundaries and three maximums. At the other end, Rohan Naveen was unbeaten on 16 off 15 deliveries, as the Bengaluru Blasters won at a canter.

Brief scores:

Gulbarga Mystics 112 all out in 19.5 overs (Lavish Kaushal 54*; Vidyadhar Patil 2-13, Mohsin Khan 2-18, Shubhang Hegde 2-10) lost to Bengaluru Blasters 113/5 in 14.2 overs (Chethan LR 75*; Vyshakh Vijaykumar 3-19) by 5 wickets.

- IANS