Bangalore Strikers register first win, Srinagar ke Veer move to third spot after second win

Khel Today Bureau 

Mumbai: Bangalore Strikers registered their first-ever win in the inaugural Indian Street Premier League T10 tennis ball cricket tournament by beating Tiigers of Kolkata in the first Super Over of the competition at the Dadoji Kondadev stadium here on Monday.

Batting first in the Super Over, Bangalore Strikes scored 21 runs with Thomas Dias scoring 13 runs in 3 balls while Mansoor KL adding 8. In response, Munna Shaikh tried his best by hitting two sixes but could not take his team over the line as they were restricted to 13/2.

The victory also ensured that Bangalore Strikers still have a mathematical chance of making it to the knock-out stage while Tiigers of Kolkata remain in second spot with four points.

The Indian Street Premier League – T10 is a pioneering Tennis Cricket League with a primary mission to discover, nurture, and elevate cricketers from grassroots levels. It endeavours to unite the finest local cricket talent in India, creating a comprehensive platform for players to showcase their skills.

Earlier, Bangalore Strikers opted to bowl first and got a break through of the first legal delivery of the innings when Akash Gautam sent back opener Fardeen Kazi. Tiigers of Kolkata captain Prathamesh Pawar then launched a counter attack and scored 25 runs of 20 balls before Gautam came back to scalp two wickets and finished with figures of 3 for 5.

Man of the Match  Mansoor KL of Bangalore Strikers. 

Tiigers of Kolkata continued to lose wickets at regular intervals thereafter and Ashiq Shamsu claimed three wickets for 21 runs to restrict the batting side to 86 for 9 in their stipulated 10 overs.

Cath of the Match – Pradeep Patil. 

But Tiigers of Kolkata had been defending well in the competition and made things quite difficult for their opponent. Apart from Thomas Dias (27 of 22 balls), none of the other Bangalore Strikes’ batsmen could cut loose and the equation was down to 18 runs in the final over.

Left hander Mansoor KL did a fantastic job of scoring 16 of the first four balls but they went for glory with yet another big shot and was caught. Bangalore Strikers skipper Ankur Singh then kept his nerves to steal and single and taking the match to Super Over.

Later in the day, Srinagar ke Veer looked in trouble at 43 for 3 at the end of the sixth over and needed something special in the 50-50 over bowled by Vishwajit Thakur. And Ahmed Askari (9 of 7 balls) and Bhushan Gole (14 of 7 runs) scored 24 runs in the over and got a bonus of 12 runs to put the result of the match beyond doubt.

Earlier, Srinagar ke Veer had bowled out the Hyderabad outfit for 81 with Man of the Match Rajesh Sorte claiming 3 wickets for 13 runs.

About the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL):

The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) is India’s pioneering tennis ball T10 cricket tournament played inside a stadium. Its inaugural edition is currently underway from March 6th to March 15th, 2024. This season, Mumbai will be the epicentre of new-age cricket entertainment, featuring six competitive teams – Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Srinagar. ISPL ignites fresh anticipation among cricket fans across the nation, coming after a spectacular line-up of celebrity superstars taking up the mantle as team owners – Amitabh Bachchan (Mumbai), Akshay Kumar (Srinagar), Hrithik Roshan (Bengaluru), Suriya (Chennai), Ram Charan (Hyderabad) and Saif & Kareena (Kolkata).The league not only promises thrilling on-field action but also aspires to revolutionize sports entertainment. Attendees can anticipate a vibrant musical festival with live performances, mesmerizing drone shows, breath-taking laser displays, and DJ Chetas spinning the latest beats, creating a seamless blend of cricket prowess and entertainment extravagance. The ISPL aims to redefine the sports entertainment landscape with this unprecedented fusion.