Hubli Tigers captain Aneeshwar Gautam anchored a composed unbeaten 60 off 41 balls to guide his side to a commanding seven-wicket victory over defending champions Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar Ground in Mysuru on Monday, 22 June. Chasing 162, the Tigers overhauled the target in 17.3 overs with 15 balls to spare, making a resounding statement in their first completed fixture of the season.

A Chase Built on Partnerships

The Tigers' run-chase wobbled early when Preethesh Ingle was dismissed off the second ball without a run on the board, caught by Lavish Kaushal. However, Mohammad Taha and Mayank Agarwal quickly steadied the innings, adding 49 runs in just 4.3 overs for the second wicket. Agarwal contributed a brisk 19 off 11 balls, including three boundaries, before departing.

Taha was particularly severe on the Warriors' attack, targeting anything short or wide with an array of aggressive strokes. He brought up his half-century off just 31 deliveries with a towering six over midwicket that cleared the stadium. His entertaining knock of 57 off 38 balls — featuring five fours and three sixes — laid the foundation before he fell with 41 runs still required.

Gautam Seals It With a Captain's Knock

With the game in the balance, skipper Gautam took charge, finishing unbeaten on 60 off 41 deliveries, striking two fours and four sixes. Abhinav Manohar provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 16 as Hubli Tigers sealed the chase in style. Notably, Mysuru captain Vyshak Vijaykumar endured a difficult outing with the ball, conceding 47 runs from four overs.

Warriors' Collapse Undoes a Promising Start

Mysore Warriors had appeared well-placed at 99/2 in the 11th over, with contributions from L R Chethan (18), S U Karthik (35), Ritesh Bhatkal (46), and K P Karthikeya (27) giving the innings momentum. However, none of the top-order batters converted their starts into a substantial score, and the defending champions suffered a dramatic collapse — losing their remaining eight wickets for just 62 runs to be bowled out for 161 in 19.2 overs.

Hardik Raj and L R Kumar were the chief destroyers with the ball, claiming three wickets apiece to trigger the middle-order and lower-order implosion. Their combined figures of 6 wickets effectively handed Hubli Tigers the game before the chase even began.

Brief Scores

Mysore Warriors 161 all out in 19.2 overs (Ritesh Bhatkal 46, S U Karthik 35, K P Karthikeya 27; Hardik Raj 3-25, L R Kumar 3-14) lost to Hubli Tigers 162/3 in 17.3 overs (Aneeshwar Gautam 60*, Mohammad Taha 57; Madhav Bajaj 2-27) by seven wickets.

What's Next

The result keeps Hubli Tigers firmly in contention as the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 gathers pace. For Mysore Warriors, the collapse from 99/2 will demand urgent attention — a middle-order that cannot convert starts is a vulnerability opponents will target in subsequent fixtures.