Key Points

Asked to bat first, the Knights struggled on a pitch offering seam movement, managing 145/5 in 20 overs. After a shaky start and Suryakumar’s early dismissal for 1 by Kartik Mishra, opener Siddhant Adhatrao held firm with a gritty half-century. He shared a 46-run stand with Suryash Shedge before falling to Nikhil Giri. Suryash (49* off 21) and Makarand Patil (13*) added a late flourish, stitching an unbeaten 33-run partnership in the final overs.

The Falcons’ reply began on a shaky note with Hitesh Kadam removing Ishan Mulchandani and Shreyanssh Rai off successive balls. But Iyer (13) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi steadied the innings with a 54-run stand before Iyer was trapped LBW by Parikshit Valsangkar.

Vinayak Bhoir (33) and Akash Parkar (30) then took control with a 56-run partnership that brought the Falcons within striking distance. Though Bhoir perished while accelerating, Parkar and Kush Kariya held their nerve to see the Falcons home with four balls to spare.

Bandra Blasters pip Aakash Tigers by 1 run

In another match, Bandra Blasters held on to clinch a thrilling one-run win over Aakash Tigers in the opening match of Day 3 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Friday. Led by a sharp spell from pacer Dhanit Raut (4-29), the Blasters overcame a gritty chase anchored by veteran opener Jay Bista’s half-century.

Chasing a modest 154, Aakash Tigers were rocked early, losing their top four for just 20 runs. However, opener Jay Bista staged a spirited fightback with a brisk 48-ball 55, featuring four fours and two sixes, to revive hopes. But once Dhanit Raut dismissed the in-form batter, the Tigers struggled to keep up with the required rate and eventually fell short, finishing at 152/8.

Earlier, asked to bat first, Bandra Blasters recovered from a shaky start to post a competitive total of 153. Om Keshkamat anchored the innings with a top score of 40, while Dhrumil Matkar chipped in with a valuable 33. For the Tigers, left-arm spinner Shams Mulani was the standout performer, picking up 3-12 in a tidy spell.

Later in the evening, Eagle Thane Strikers will take on MSC Maratha Royals at the D.Y. Patil Stadium, while ARCS Andheri will lock horns with North Mumbai Panthers in the fourth match of the day at the Wankhede Stadium.

The third edition of the T20 Mumbai League, one of India’s leading domestic franchise-based T20 tournaments, is being telecast on Star Sports 1 (English & Hindi), Star Sports 2 (English), and JioHotstar.

Brief scores:

Match 1:

Bandra Blasters 153 (Om Keshkamat 40, Dhrumil Matkar 33; Shams Mulani 3-12, Kruthik Hanagavadi 2-37) beat Aakash Tigers MWS 152/8 (Jay Bista 55, Arjun Dani 47; Dhanit Raut 4-29, Atharva Poojari 2-27) by 1 run.

Match 2:

Triumph Knights MNE 145/5 (Siddhant Adhatrao 57, Suryansh Shedge 49 not out; Siddharth Raut 1-8) lost to SOBO Mumbai Falcons 147/6 (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 42, Vinayak Bhoir 33, Akash Parkar 30 not out; Hitesh Kadam 2-22) by 4 wickets.

- IANS