Nagesh Trophy: Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Secure Wins in Group A; Bihar and Rajasthan Prevail in Group B

Bengaluru/Kota, Dec 13 (NationPress) The home side Karnataka delivered a crushing defeat to Kerala while Tamil Nadu narrowly beat Himachal Pradesh on Day 5 of the ongoing 7th edition of the Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2024-25, widely known as the Nagesh Trophy, taking place in two venues across the nation.

The 7th edition of the IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy commenced on December 9, featuring a total of five teams in both Group A and Group B competing for supremacy in the tournament. The matches for Group C started on Friday.

At Altiore Sports, Karnataka chose to bat first against Kerala, amassing a total of 138/2 in 10 overs. In response, Kerala could only manage 83 runs for the loss of three wickets in their 10 overs. Lokesha B. from Karnataka was awarded the Player of the Match for his remarkable performance, scoring 82 runs off 39 balls.

In the day's second match, Tamil Nadu faced off against Himachal Pradesh, securing a narrow 5-run victory. Batting first, Tamil Nadu posted 98/3 in 10 overs, while Himachal managed 93/5 in their innings. Thangaraj M from Tamil Nadu was recognized as the Player of the Match for his vital contribution of 37 runs. Both matches were shortened to 10 overs due to adverse weather conditions in Bangalore.

With these two matches concluded, the league matches for Group A and Group B reached their end on Friday.

At JK Pavilion Ground in Kota, Group B witnessed an exciting clash between Pondicherry and Bihar. Pondicherry scored 120/7 in 15 overs, but Bihar successfully chased down the target with 121/3 in just 14.1 overs. Pintu Kumar Shah was named the Player of the Match for his impressive bowling figures of 3/19.

The second game of the day saw Haryana batting first, posting 161/9 in 20 overs, but Rajasthan achieved 162/4 in 17.2 overs to claim victory. Sonu Rawat from Rajasthan earned the Player of the Match award for his outstanding innings of 78 runs off 48 balls. Both matches were limited to 15 overs due to inclement weather.

With the conclusion of these matches, the Group A and Group B league competitions of the Nagesh Trophy have now wrapped up.

At the KT Global Ground in Bhubaneswar, the Group C matches kicked off with an inaugural battle between Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Odisha enjoyed a decisive victory, scoring 205/4 in 20 overs, while Uttar Pradesh was limited to 96/10 in 19.1 overs. Lalprasad Soren from Odisha was honored as the Player of the Match for his stellar performance, scoring 79 runs off 48 balls.

The second match of the day featured Tripura and Chandigarh, where Tripura batted first, making 124/7 in 20 overs. Chandigarh chased the target effectively, achieving 128/1 in just 13 overs. Mau Jahid Khan from Chandigarh was awarded the Player of the Match for his solid score of 41 runs off 39 balls.

This year's league matches are being hosted across six venues, leading to the Super 8 stage in February 2025. A total of 28 teams, including squads from states, union territories, and an Indian Railways team, are competing for the championship.