Can Taha's Brilliance Propel Hubli Tigers to Victory Over Bengaluru Blasters?

Mysore, Aug 13 (NationPress) Mohammed Taha delivered a spectacular second consecutive century, while Shivkumar Rakshith wrapped up the match in an explosive finish, guiding the Hubli Tigers to a thrilling last-over win against the Bengaluru Blasters during the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Stadium.

In pursuit of a daunting target of 226 runs, set by Rohan Patil's impressive 80, Taha's blistering 101 off 54 balls, which included seven sixes and nine fours, was complemented by Abhinav Manohar’s brisk 33. The match reached its climax when Shivkumar Rakshith smashed two sixes and a four in the final three deliveries, clinching a remarkable victory.

The Hubli Tigers began their innings strongly, concluding the Power-play at 58/1. Taha and Prakhar Chaturvedi (18) formed a solid 54-run partnership before Prakhar was run out in the sixth over. Mohsin Khan then made two quick dismissals, taking out Devdutt Padikkal (4) and Karthikeya K.P. (7), momentarily halting the Tigers' momentum.

Taha reached his fifty off just 30 balls, continuing his sensational form with impressive hits off Prateek Jain and Vaibhav Sharma. Joined by Manohar, they propelled the Tigers past the 150-run mark in just 14 overs.

Although Manohar aimed to simplify the chase with two fours and two sixes, Naveen MG dismissed him in the 16th over, leaving the Tigers needing 53 runs from 27 balls.

After a phenomenal catch by Vidyadhar Patil at deep-point ended Taha's innings, Manvanth Kumar (18 off 9) and Samarth Nagraj (12 off 9) appeared poised to finish the game. However, a tight penultimate over from Vidyadhar Patil saw Manvanth depart, leaving the Tigers needing 17 runs in the final over. Shivkumar Rakshith, with his 18 off 6, struck two sixes and a four to secure the victory for the Hubli Tigers.

On the other hand, openers Chethan LR (23 off 16) and Rohan Patil (80 off 43) provided the Blasters with an electrifying start, accumulating 72 runs during the Power-play. Though Chethan was dismissed by Ritesh Bhatkal in the fourth over, Rohan dominated the batting phase, including a remarkable sixth over where he scored 30 runs off Samarth Nagaraj.

Rohan Patil’s aggressive batting continued as he built a 47-run partnership with Mayank Agarawal (9 off 6) in just 17 balls, showcasing his fluency and boundary-hitting ability, reaching 82 runs before falling to Punja, leaving the Blasters at 149/4 in 13.3 overs.

The Blasters faced a temporary setback losing two wickets quickly, with Shubhang Hegde (9 off 12) caught by KC Cariappa in the 17th over. Punja also claimed Suraj Ahuja (27 off 19) shortly after, despite his valuable contribution.

Even as the Tigers managed to contain the Blasters around the 200-run mark, Naveen MG (27 off 11) and Rohan Naveen (24 off 7) launched a late surge, adding 54 runs in the final 17 deliveries. Naveen MG hit three fours and two sixes, while Rohan Naveen finished with three sixes and a four in the last over, bringing the Blasters to a season-high 225/6.

Brief scores:

Bengaluru Blasters 225/6 in 20 overs (Rohan Patil 80, Rohan Naveen 24*, Naveen MG 27*; Yash Raj Punja 3-43, KC Cariappa 2-25) lost to Hubli Tigers 228/8 in 20 overs (Mohd. Taha 101, Abhinav Manohar 33; Mohsin Khan 2-24) by two wickets.