Gulbarga Mystics Triumph Over Bengaluru Blasters in Maharaja Trophy T20

Gulbarga Mystics Secure Victory

Mysuru (Karnataka) [India], August 24: In an exciting match at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Stadium, the Gulbarga Mystics emerged victorious against the Bengaluru Blasters by seven wickets during the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, as reported by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

Smaran R showcased his exceptional talent, scoring an impressive 89 runs off 52 balls, marking his fifth half-century of the season with eight fours and five sixes. This performance propelled the Mystics to second place on the points table, accumulating 12 points from nine matches. The Blasters, batting first, managed to post a total of 164 runs for the loss of seven wickets, thanks to contributions from Suraj Ahuja (54 off 31) and Rohan Naveen (34* off 18), despite Vyshak Vijaykumar's notable bowling figures of 3/34.

The chase began steadily for the Mystics with Nikin Jose and Luvnith Sisodia, but Luvnith (16 off 9) was dismissed at the boundary in the fourth over, followed by Nikin (16 off 16) retiring hurt, leaving the team in a challenging position with only 39 runs at the end of the powerplay. Smaran R then took charge, hitting two boundaries and two sixes, while Prajwal Pavan (10 off 17) added a four, bringing the score to 73 after ten overs.

Shubhang Hegde broke the partnership by dismissing Prajwal in the 11th over. However, Smaran continued his aggressive batting, scoring four more fours and two sixes, leading the Mystics to 116 runs in 15 overs, while KV Siddharth (5 off 8) was also dismissed by Shubhang, as noted in the KSCA press release.

Praveen Dubey (29* off 14) played a crucial role in the final overs, rotating the strike effectively and hitting a couple of boundaries to bring the Mystics closer to victory. In the 18th over, the duo scored 17 runs, and with just seven runs needed in the last over, Praveen sealed the match with two consecutive boundaries.

Earlier, the Blasters' opening batsmen, Chethan LR (19 off 11) and Mayank Aggarwal (21 off 16), started aggressively but faced setbacks as Chethan was dismissed in the fourth over by Prithviraj Shekhawat. Rohan Patil (3 off 5) was run out shortly after, and Vyshak Vijaykumar's bowling restricted the Blasters to 45/3 at the end of the powerplay.

Bhuvan Raju (1 off 7) attempted to stabilize the innings but was caught by Smaran R off Vyshak in the eighth over. Skipper Shubhang Hegde (9 off 12) followed suit, leaving the Blasters struggling at 72/5 in 11 overs. Naveen MG (7 off 15) also fell cheaply, while Suraj Ahuja (53 off 30) kept the innings afloat with two sixes and three fours, pushing the score to 103/6 in 15 overs.

Suraj accelerated in the death overs, reaching his half-century in just 29 balls with four fours and four sixes before being run out in the penultimate over. Rohan Naveen (34 off 18) added six boundaries, helping the Blasters finish at 164/7.

Brief Scores: Bengaluru Blasters 164/7 in 20 overs (Suraj Ahuja 54, Rohan Naveen 34*; Vyshak Vijaykumar 3/34) vs Gulbarga Mystics 167/3 in 19.2 overs (Smaran R 89, Praveen Dubey 29*; Shubhang Hegde 2/31).