CRICKET – ABRAJ Super Kings, MJ Yodhas, and Abraj Rocking Royals all came away with victories as the sixth season of the Abraj Premier League (APL) got underway.
Super Kings claimed a 23-run victory against Abraj White Tigers in their season-opening match. Put into bat, Super Kings built a solid platform, reaching 75/2 at the 10-over mark. A mid-innings wobble saw them slip to 103/5 by the 14th over, but what followed was a brutal onslaught.
In just five overs, Super Kings added 91 runs, closing their innings at a commanding 197/8. They were led by Tarun Parihar, who delivered a knock of 91 off just 27 balls, hammering the White Tigers’ bowling to all parts of the ground. Quick cameos from Haresh Nair and Lauv Lahoti (both 18 off 10) added the finishing touches. For White Tigers, Himanshu Patel was the standout bowler with four wickets.
In response, White Tigers faltered early and were 74/5 at the halfway mark. Late fireworks from Vishal Dhanak (35 off 20), Sachin Kadam (34 off 18), and Shrawan Soni (30 off 17) gave them a fighting chance, but they fell short, finishing at 174/9, handing Super Kings their 23-run victory.
Varun Sood led the charge for Super Kings with three wickets. Parihar was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his explosive innings.
In another match, MJ Yodhas defeated Super Giants 2.0 by 28 runs. MJ Yodhas chose to bat first and a steady start saw them at 76/3 after 10 overs, with the middle order capitalising to take the total to 148/7. Sagar K top scored with 40 off 20 balls, while Prem Devassy (22 off 18) and Pankaj Kherajani (17 off 10) played crucial cameos. For Super Giants, Chetan Dongra picked up two wickets, while Stany Fernandes and Vinod Rathi took one apiece.
Chasing 149, Super Giants stumbled early and were 45/4 by the 10th over. Despite efforts from Ankit Bhutda (23 off 19), Rathi (20 off 19), and Mishal Soni (15 off 18), they managed only 120/7, handing Yodhas a 28-run win.
With the ball, Collin Dominic Dsilva led the attack with two wickets. Sagar K was selected as the match’s MVP.
Meanwhile, Rocking Royals defeated JD Avengers by five wickets. Put into bat, JD Avengers put up a composed performance, reaching 68/1 at the halfway point and eventually posting 140/2 in 20 overs. Hozefa Petiwala (20 off 13) was the top scorer, aided by cameos from Mahesh Tambare (18 off 10), Kalpesh (13 off 10), and Safiyaaldin Sadiq (12 off 10). Sagar Dholaria took the only wicket for Royals, with one run-out adding to the tally.
In pursuit, Royals were in deep trouble at 27/4, but the middle order held firm. Ashwani Pratap played a match-turning knock of 28 off 14, supported by Rakesh Kumar (21 off 15) and Dholaria (19 off 14).
Royals completed the chase in 19.4 overs, winning by five wickets. For JD Avengers, Dinesh Kumar picked up two wickets. Pratap was declared the MVP.
This season’s APL promises thrilling action, with each team facing one another in a double round-robin format. The top four sides will then move on to the playoffs, which will include a qualifier one, an eliminator, qualifier two, and then the much-awaited grand final, where the APL champions will be crowned.
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