Bhopal Leopards chased down a challenging target of 195 by five wickets against Malwa Stallions with more than an over to spare at Holkar Stadium, Indore on 17 June 2026, returning to winning ways in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026. A blistering 60 off 29 deliveries from captain Aniket Verma, laced with five sixes and five fours, set the tone for a dominant run chase.

Malwa Stallions Build a Competitive Total

Malwa Stallions were put in to bat and posted 194/9 in their allotted 20 overs, an innings briefly interrupted by rain. The Stallions suffered an early blow when Saksham Purohit fell for just 5 off 4 balls, but Ansh Yadav and Akhil Nigote Yadav steadied the ship with a 57-run second-wicket partnership.

Ansh departed for 13 off 11 balls, but Akhil pressed on to a composed half-century before combining with skipper Ashutosh Sharma for a 39-run third-wicket stand. Ashutosh contributed a punchy 32 off 18 deliveries before falling. Akhil's own knock ended at 63 off 36 balls, leaving the middle order to consolidate.

Parth Sahani delivered a crucial cameo of 41 off 24 balls, while Rishabh Chouhan added 19 off 16 and Sachin Vishwakarma chipped in with 12 off 8 to push the Stallions to a challenging total. For Bhopal, Anurag Malviya was the standout with 3 wickets for 36 runs from his four overs, and Pranjul Puri claimed 2 for 33.

Leopards Fly Out of the Blocks

Bhopal's reply began at a brisk pace, with Rahul Chandrol and Tanishq Yadav putting on 33 runs for the opening wicket in just 3.2 overs. Chandrol fell for a quickfire 24 off 14 balls, but Tanishq stayed on to partner Verma in what became the defining passage of the match.

The duo took complete control of the chase, with Verma particularly severe on Parth Sahani — smashing him for three sixes in a single over. The Leopards reached 108/2 after 10 overs, firmly in command. Tanishq was eventually caught behind off Ashutosh Sharma for a well-made 37 off 23 balls.

Verma's Blitz and the Finishing Act

Verma brought up his half-century in style before the Stallions struck back with a couple of timely wickets, including the prized scalp of the Leopards captain. He departed for 60 off 29 balls — an innings of controlled aggression that effectively settled the contest.

With the chase still in safe hands, Ansh Bagadia and Himanshu Shinde stitched together a vital 62-run fifth-wicket partnership to see Bhopal home. Bagadia contributed 29 off 20 balls before falling with the Leopards needing just one run. Kamal Tripathi hit the winning runs, while Shinde finished unbeaten on 32 off 18 deliveries.

Verma Reflects on His Knock

Speaking after the match, Aniket Verma said: 'My approach was simple. In the powerplay, I wanted to spend a little time at the crease, settle in, and then build the innings one ball at a time. The idea was to ensure we found at least one boundary every over so that the required run rate never got out of control. I wasn't really looking at my strike rate, but in hindsight, I feel I could have taken the game even deeper and finished it myself. That's something I'll look to improve in the coming matches.'

With this victory, Bhopal Leopards arrest a run of poor form and will look to carry this momentum into their next fixture in the MPL T20 Scindia Cup 2026.