How Did Shreyas Iyer's SoBo Mumbai Falcons Reach the T20 Mumbai League Final?

Mumbai, June 11 (NationPress) Powered by Akash Parkar's exceptional all-round performance and Ishan Mulchandani's stellar half-century, Shreyas Iyer's SoBo Mumbai Falcons clinched a place in the T20 Mumbai League 2025 final with a commanding five-wicket win over the Bandra Blasters. They are set to take on the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals this Thursday in the final.

In the second semifinal, the Bandra Blasters batted first but could only muster a mere 130 runs, with key contributions from Dhrumil Matkar (34) and Akash Anand (31). On the other hand, Akash Parkar excelled for the SoBo Mumbai Falcons, claiming three wickets.

The Falcons chased down the target efficiently, finishing with over five overs remaining, thanks to an unbeaten 52 from opener Ishan Mulchandani and quick contributions from Akash Parkar (32) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27), securing their final berth.

In the earlier semifinal, a stellar unbeaten half-century by captain Siddesh Lad and a remarkable five-wicket haul by pacer Rohan Raje led the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals to an emphatic 8-wicket victory over the Eagle Thane Strikers at the Wankhede Stadium.

On a pitch that provided significant movement and bounce, Raje took full advantage of the conditions, achieving figures of 5/40 — marking the first five-wicket haul of the season and just the fourth in the tournament’s history. His performance dismantled the Strikers' batting lineup, limiting them to a modest 131/8 in their allocated overs.

Batting first after winning the toss, the Strikers struggled to find their rhythm. Raje, aided by left-arm spinner Aditya Dhumal, tore through the top and middle order, reducing them to 57/4 within the first 10 overs.

Sairaj Patil (41) and captain Atharva Ankolekar (34 not out) attempted to stabilize the innings with a 43-run partnership, but another explosive spell from Raje shifted the momentum decisively. He returned to dismiss Patil, Vinay Kunwar, and Shashank Attarde in quick succession, sealing a memorable five-wicket haul.

Chasing 132, the Royals began cautiously. An early setback occurred when Sahil Jadhav misjudged a delivery from Sairaj Patil and was bowled. However, Lad steadied the innings with his usual composure, forming a 48-run partnership with Chinmay Sutar (19), who fell while attempting a big shot off Attarde.

Lad remained unfazed and, alongside Sachin Yadav (19 not out), they formed an unbroken 55-run partnership that secured the win with 13 balls to spare. The captain finished unbeaten on 74 off 52 balls, hitting nine boundaries and a six, and fittingly struck the winning runs with a crisp drive through the off-side.

With this victory, the Maratha Royals advanced to the final, showcasing a complete performance highlighted by their captain and star pacer.

The final is scheduled to take place at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on June 12.

Brief scores:

Semifinal 1:

Eagle Thane Strikers 131/8 (Sairaj Patil 41, Atharva Ankolekar 34; Rohan Raje 5/40) lost to MSC Maratha Royals 134/2 (Siddesh Lad 74 not out) by eight wickets.

Semifinal 2:

Bandra Blasters 130/10 (Dhrumil Matkar 34, Akash Anand 31; Akash Parkar 3/16) lost to SOBO Mumbai Falcons 131/5 (Ishan Mulchandani 52, Akash Parkar 32; Sagarr Chhabriaa 2/33) by five wickets.