Mysuru, Aug 11 (NationPress) The Mangaluru Dragons kicked off their journey in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 with a commanding 33-run victory over the Gulbarga Mystics at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Cricket Stadium.

Macneil Noronha delivered a stunning performance, scoring 53 runs with three fours and four sixes, guiding the Dragons to a total of 180/8. The victory was secured by the brilliant bowling efforts of skipper Shreyas Gopal and Kranthi Kumar, each taking three wickets.

The Mystics' bowling attack was spearheaded by Prithviraj, who achieved remarkable figures of 3/21, while Vyshak Vijaykumar and Monish Reddy each claimed two wickets. Shreyas Gopal also contributed a vital 20 runs during the closing overs of the innings.

The Mystics started their run chase energetically, with Luvnith Sisodia (26) hitting three fours and a six in the first over. However, Shreyas Gopal quickly turned the tide by taking out Sisodia and Nikin Jose (11) in the fourth over, reducing the Mystics to 39/2.

Smaran R (11) managed to hit two impressive boundaries before falling to Noronha’s bowling in the seventh over. The Mystics' situation worsened as Mohit BA (12) and Praveen Dubey (7) were dismissed soon after, leaving them struggling at 85/5 in 12.2 overs.

Prajwal Pavan (25) and Vyshak (12) tried to stabilize the innings with a 30-run partnership, but Vyshak's dismissal by Kranthi Kumar in the 15th over further dashed their hopes. The Mystics faced even more trouble when Pavan was run out in the subsequent over.

With 71 runs needed off the last five overs, the challenge proved insurmountable, and the Mystics ended their innings at 147/10.

The Mangaluru Dragons initiated their innings explosively, with Lochan Gowda (27) scoring 18 runs in the opening over, including a six from the first ball. Sharath BR (16) contributed to the momentum, while Vyshak Vijaykumar maintained control, conceding just eight runs in his initial two overs. The partnership ended when Prithviraj dismissed Lochan in the sixth over, followed by Sharath's run out on the very next ball. The Dragons concluded the powerplay at 60/2.

Macneil Noronha (53) and Aneesh KV (9) added another 32 runs before Aneesh fell to Prithviraj. Noronha displayed outstanding form, scoring 19 runs off Shashi Kumar in the 13th over, reaching his half-century off just 26 balls. His innings concluded in the 14th over with Prithviraj claiming his third wicket.

Adarsh Prajwal (18), who had earlier smashed two consecutive sixes off Praveen Dubey, was dismissed shortly after, caught behind by Monish Reddy. At the 15-over mark, the Dragons stood at 140/5.

During the death overs, the Dragons could only muster 40 additional runs, although skipper Shreyas Gopal (20) made a significant contribution. Vyshak took two more wickets, dismissing Shivraj S (9) and Pallav Kumar Das (11), as the Dragons finished with a score of 180/5.