Hyderabad E-Champions skipper Abhirath Reddy smashed a maiden TG20 century — an unbeaten 101 off 43 balls — to power his side to a commanding six-wicket win over Warangal Warriors in the Hyderabad Cricket Association's TG20 Season 1 on Wednesday, 1 July. The victory sealed the E-Champions' berth in the playoffs, keeping their unbeaten record intact.

Abhirath's Maiden Ton Steals the Show

The E-Champions skipper, already the Orange Cap holder, had come agonisingly close to a century on a couple of earlier occasions. He made no mistake this time, blazing his way to 101* with seven fours and nine sixes, wrapping up the chase with a towering six over long-off. He reached his fifty in just 28 balls before shifting into an even higher gear to seal the match with 27 balls to spare.

District player Ganesh Gadugu provided the ideal foil, contributing a brisk 50 off 31 balls — his second half-century of the tournament — as the pair put on a crucial 77-run stand that effectively ended the contest.

Warriors Restricted to 173/9

Warangal Warriors opted to bat first and made an aggressive start, posting 64 runs in the first five overs. However, Purple Cap holder Ajay Dev Goud brought the E-Champions back into the game by dismissing both openers in the final over of the powerplay. Harshit Choudhary (22 off 14) and Aman Rao Perala (45 off 20 balls) were the two to fall.

Shanmukha Ashwin then removed Murugan Abhishek (4 off 7), tightening the grip further. A 50-run stand between Sunkari Dheeraj (18 off 16) and Rishiket Sisodia (38 off 32) offered the Warriors a brief revival, but Pranav Varma ended Sisodia's innings in the 15th over, triggering a collapse.

Akhil Rathod dismissed Sunkari, Ajay accounted for Adi Mani Kiran (5 off 6), and Dev Mehta removed Bhavesh Seth (6 off 8), leaving the Warriors reeling at 142/7. A late cameo from Shaunak Kulkarni — a fiery 22 off 7 balls — lifted the total to 173/9, before Abhirath himself ended Kulkarni's innings in the penultimate over. Ajay finished with figures of 3/27.

E-Champions Wobble Before Abhirath and Gadugu Steady the Ship

The run chase began at a gallop — 27 runs in the first two overs — but the Warriors hit back hard, taking three wickets inside the powerplay for the first time in the tournament. Pallepati Kranthi struck twice in the third over, removing Sai Vikas Reddy (10 off 7) and Ajay Goud (0 off 2), while Salman Khan dismissed Anvith Reddy (4 off 2) in the next over to leave the E-Champions in genuine trouble.

That brought Abhirath and Gadugu together, and the pair demonstrated the composure of seasoned campaigners, keeping the required run rate in check before Gadugu was dismissed by Shaunak in the 12th over. By then, the match was already beyond the Warriors' reach.

Playoffs Picture and What's Next

With this win, Hyderabad E-Champions have officially qualified for the TG20 Season 1 playoffs, their unbeaten run a testament to the depth and consistency of the squad. The tournament, organised by the Hyderabad Cricket Association, continues to spotlight emerging district-level talent alongside established names. All eyes will now be on the playoff fixtures as other sides battle for the remaining berths.

Brief Scores: Warangal Warriors 173/9 in 20 overs (Aman Rao Perala 45, Rishiket Sisodia 38; Ajay Dev Goud 3/27) lost to Hyderabad E-Champions 178/4 in 15.3 overs (Abhirath Reddy 101*, Ganesh Gadugu 50; Pallepati Kranthi 1/29) by six wickets.