Bengaluru: In a contest befitting a finale, Gulbarga Mystics overpowered a spirited challenge from Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters to annex the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament title here by a 11-run margin.
At the M Chinnaswamy stadium, Friday night mostly belonged to youngsters who combined power with persistence. For Gulbarga, Devdutt Padikkal was at his best for the second consecutive night, his 42-ball 56 the ideal anchor to a batting line-up which worked in tandem to post an imposing 220/3. In reply, after a disastrous start, Bengaluru's flame of hope was stoked by opener LR Chethan (91; 40b; 6x4; 8x6) and Kranthi Kumar (47) but was doused by young pacer Manoj Bhandage (3/32) as Bengaluru fought till the end but finished at 209/9.
Gulbarga were off to a flying start with their openers Jeswath Acharya (39) and Rohan Patil (38) wasting no time in getting into an attacking mode. The duo put on a stand of 60 runs before Patil departed. Joined by Padikkal, Acharya kept the momentum going before heading back to the dugout in the seventh over. Padikkal then took charge, put a price on his wicket and looked for the loose balls to put away. He was well-supported by KL Shrijith (38) and skipper Manish Pandey (41 n.o; 17b; 2x4; 4x6). Pandey in particular stepped on the pedal in the death overs to take his team past the 220-mark.
In reply, Bengaluru had a dreadful start, with the spin duo of Rithesh Bhatkal (2/20) and Pranav Bhatia (2/39) sending back most of the top-order in quick time. During powerplay they were reduced to 45/4. Chethan and Kranthi took the challenge to the opposition with their 98-run partnership for the sixth wicket. They kept their team in the chase with some big hits. The departure of Chethan was a blow, but Kranthi's dismissal in the 17th over hurt Bengaluru's chances. Ronit More put up a fight with his unbeaten 14-ball 22, but needing 21 runs off the last over, Abhilash Shetty gave away just nine runs to seal his team's win.
Brief scores: Gulbarga Mystics: 220/3 in 20 overs (Jeswath Acharya 39, Rohan Patil 38, Devdutt Padikkal 56 n.o, KL Shrijith 38, Manish Pandey 41 n.o) bt Bengaluru Blasters: 209/9 in 20 overs (LR Chethan 91, Kranthi Kumar 47; Rithesh Bhatkal 2-20, Pranav B 2-39, Manoj Bhandage 3-32).
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