Tiigers of Kolkata beat Srinagar ke Veer to book semi-final spot

Khel Today Bureau 

Mumbai: Tiigers of Kolkata scored 43 runs in the last two overs to beat Srinagar Ke Veer by 6 wickets and book their semi-final spot in the inaugural Indian Street Premier League T10 tennis ball cricket tournament at the Dadoji Kondadev stadium here on Wednesday.

Fardeen Kazi (26 runs of 6 balls) and Man-of-the-match Bhavesh Pawar (20 runs of 6 balls) hit the ball all around the park in the final two overs to ensure that Tiigers of Kolkata successful chased down a target of 110 runs and moved up to second spot in the overall standings.

Srinagar ke Veer, who had already qualified for the semi-finals, slipped to third position. Majhi Mumbai is the other team that has made it to the semi-finals.

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.

With three of the four teams in action on the final day of the group stage, there was a lot to play for and Tiigers of Kolkata chose to bowl against Srinagar ke Veer in a must-win encounter.

They then kept chipping away wickets are regular interval to keep Srinagar ke Veer’s scoring in check. However, a 22-ball 36 from Aishwary Surve and a swashbuckling 31 runs of just 9 balls from skipper Omkar Patil took the team over the 100-run mark and set Tiigers of Kolkata a target of 110 runs.

Knowing well that a victory would seal a semi-final sport for them, Tiigers of Kolkata skipper Prathamesh Pawar promoted himself to the top of the order and scored a quick-fire 36 of 23 balls to set up the foundation of the chase.

Left-hander Bhavesh Pawar then hit Pritam Bari for three consecutive sixes in the ninth over as Tiigers of Kolkata scored 27 runs and then Fardeen Kazi hit a six and two boundaries in the final over of Bhushan Gole to seal the victory.

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 ISPL aims to redefine the sports entertainment landscape with this unprecedented fusion.