Did Gourav Choudhary Propel Bhubaneswar Tigers to Victory in the Odisha Pro T20 League?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Gourav Choudhary scored the first century of the Odisha Pro T20 League.
- The Bhubaneswar Tigers won by 37 runs against the Keonjhar Miners.
- The match showcased exceptional bowling from the Tigers.
- Keonjhar Miners struggled with early wickets.
- The event highlights the talent in regional cricket.
Cuttack, Sep 19 (NationPress) In a captivating display of batting, Gourav Choudhary made history by scoring the inaugural century of the tournament, leading the Bhubaneswar Tigers to an exhilarating victory in the 5th match of the Odisha Pro T20 League 2025. Their triumph came at the expense of the Keonjhar Miners, who faced a 37-run defeat at the Barabati Stadium on Friday.
Chasing a daunting target of 199 runs, the opening pair of Debabrata Pradhan and Om T. Munde for Keonjhar Miners struggled significantly, finding themselves at 28/2 within the first three overs, with both batsmen dismissed early. Munde managed only 5 runs from 5 balls, while Pradhan contributed a mere 9 runs from 7 deliveries.
The top scorer for the Miners was Biwabhusan Bihari, who made 38 runs off 32 balls, and Soumya Lenka chipped in with 19 runs from 11 balls. In a late push, Anil Parida scored a quick 36 off 19 balls, but it ultimately fell short of the target.
On the bowling front for the Bhubaneswar Tigers, Suryakant Pradhan shone brightly with impressive figures of 3 wickets for just 11 runs in his 4 overs, while Jayanta Behera also excelled, claiming 3 wickets for 14 runs. Other contributors included Badal Biswal (2-43), Debabrata Pradhan (1-21), and Sambit Beja (1-32), as they restricted the Miners to a total below the required runs.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, the Bhubaneswar Tigers opened with Prayan Samal and Gaurav Choudhary. Prayan fell early for just 5 runs off 8 balls, while Bivash Shaw added 21 runs off 8 balls and Rajesh Dhupar scored 20 runs from 22 balls.
It was Gourav Choudhary who stole the show, finishing as the top scorer with a sensational 113 runs off just 56 balls, marking the first century of the league. By the end of the innings, Bhubaneswar Tigers had posted a formidable total of 198/8.
For the Keonjhar Miners, Papu Ray took 2 wickets for 38 runs in his 4 overs, while Sarbeswar Mohanty also took 2 wickets, conceding 37 runs in his 4 overs. Soumya Lenka (1-45) and Shekhar Majhi (1-21) each claimed one wicket in the innings.