165/10 (20.0)
CR : 8.25
165/8 (20.0)
CR : 8.25
MSC Maratha Royals won in superover 🏆
Player of the Match
Tushar Deshpande
1/1433(14) & 13(5)*
Over 1
Aakash Tigers MWS 11/1
Sourabh Singh6(2)
Sarfaraz Khan2(3)
Irfan Umair0-11(1.0)
MMR won in superover
11:43 PM IST, Local Time: The MSC Maratha Royals snatch a tense victory in the Super Over to kick start their season against Aakash Tigers Mumbai. A true thriller game lasting almost 5 hours! Tushar Deshpande performing with both bat and ball and playing a key role in the Super Over with the bat as well.
It was Rohit Sharma who spun the coin as the tournament icon and flipped it in Siddhesh Lad's favor who elected to bowl first. The Tigers kept losing wickets and it was Ajit Yadav with his 37 and some important hits from Sarfaraz Khan (28 off 19), Jay Bista (25 off 16) and impact player Saksham Parashar (26* off 23) took the score to 165/8. Deshpande bowled an economic spell with his 4 overs yielding 1/14. Maxwell Swaminathan picked up 2/31 in his 4 overs.
Royals lost 3 wickets inside the powerplay but it was Sachin Yadav adding 49 runs with Arjun Dani for the 4th wicket to take the game deep. Sachin was the only half centurion tonight with 54 in 39 balls to his name, 4 fours and 3 sixes under his belt. Tushar Deshpande promoted at number 6 hit 3 sixes in his 14-ball 33 but since his departure, no other lower order batter could contribute with the game going into the Super Over thanks to a terrific penultimate over from Naman Pushpak.
Deshpande faced 5 balls in the Super Over and hit 13 runs with 2 boundaries against Jamshed Alam to set the Tigers 17 runs to win. Some accurate bowling from Irfan Umair ensured he took the game towards his side with the equation down to 14 off 2 balls. Sourabh Singh hit a maximum off the final ball but it still kept his side 6 runs short of the winning total. Ajit Yadav hitting just 2 off 2 and Sarfaraz hitting 2 off 3.
It was Rohit Sharma who spun the coin as the tournament icon and flipped it in Siddhesh Lad's favor who elected to bowl first. The Tigers kept losing wickets and it was Ajit Yadav with his 37 and some important hits from Sarfaraz Khan (28 off 19), Jay Bista (25 off 16) and impact player Saksham Parashar (26* off 23) took the score to 165/8. Deshpande bowled an economic spell with his 4 overs yielding 1/14. Maxwell Swaminathan picked up 2/31 in his 4 overs.
Royals lost 3 wickets inside the powerplay but it was Sachin Yadav adding 49 runs with Arjun Dani for the 4th wicket to take the game deep. Sachin was the only half centurion tonight with 54 in 39 balls to his name, 4 fours and 3 sixes under his belt. Tushar Deshpande promoted at number 6 hit 3 sixes in his 14-ball 33 but since his departure, no other lower order batter could contribute with the game going into the Super Over thanks to a terrific penultimate over from Naman Pushpak.
Deshpande faced 5 balls in the Super Over and hit 13 runs with 2 boundaries against Jamshed Alam to set the Tigers 17 runs to win. Some accurate bowling from Irfan Umair ensured he took the game towards his side with the equation down to 14 off 2 balls. Sourabh Singh hit a maximum off the final ball but it still kept his side 6 runs short of the winning total. Ajit Yadav hitting just 2 off 2 and Sarfaraz hitting 2 off 3.
Sarfaraz Khan (Aakash Tigers MWS Captain): (On the thrilling finish and the team's performance) "Absolutely, it was great fun. The game went right down to the end, and both teams played some very good cricket. Initially, we didn't get the kind of start we wanted with the bat. During the bowling innings as well, Prince wasn't fully fit, and there were a few challenges for us. But all the credit goes to our spinners. Shashank and the rest of the spin group bowled really well and helped us stay in the contest. Overall, it was a fantastic game and an enjoyable experience.
(On whether 165 was a competitive total) To be honest, the wicket was very good for batting. When Ajit and I were batting together in the middle overs, we felt that a score of around 200-220 was achievable. Unfortunately, both of us got out, and after that, we lost wickets at crucial stages. We eventually managed only 164, which was below what we were aiming for. That’s why our bowlers deserve a lot of credit for the way they bowled and created momentum throughout the match to keep us in the game.
(On areas where the team can improve) I don't think there's just one specific area. We need to improve in both batting and bowling. If we look at today's game honestly, we probably didn't play our best cricket in either department. However, one thing that stood out was our unity as a team. We stayed together, kept fighting, and never gave up until the very last moment. That fighting spirit allowed us to remain competitive throughout the match.
(On the team's mindset moving forward) The most important thing is not to lose hope. There are still plenty of positives to take from the way we fought as a group, and if we continue working on our batting and bowling performances, we can become a much stronger side as the season progresses."
(On whether 165 was a competitive total) To be honest, the wicket was very good for batting. When Ajit and I were batting together in the middle overs, we felt that a score of around 200-220 was achievable. Unfortunately, both of us got out, and after that, we lost wickets at crucial stages. We eventually managed only 164, which was below what we were aiming for. That’s why our bowlers deserve a lot of credit for the way they bowled and created momentum throughout the match to keep us in the game.
(On areas where the team can improve) I don't think there's just one specific area. We need to improve in both batting and bowling. If we look at today's game honestly, we probably didn't play our best cricket in either department. However, one thing that stood out was our unity as a team. We stayed together, kept fighting, and never gave up until the very last moment. That fighting spirit allowed us to remain competitive throughout the match.
(On the team's mindset moving forward) The most important thing is not to lose hope. There are still plenty of positives to take from the way we fought as a group, and if we continue working on our batting and bowling performances, we can become a much stronger side as the season progresses."
Time for the Post-Match Presentations...
Siddhesh Lad (MSC Maratha Royals Captain): [on the last over] "We would have paced the innings very nicely. 3 wickets went quickly and we needed to show some intent. There were lots of positives. We bowled well to restrict them to 165, we fielded well.
[on the debrief] It's all about intent. Somewhere in the middle overs we lacked that. We have got a talented bunch of players, especially under-19s so they wil get good experience.
[on the Super Over] Tushar played a classic cameo to help us win that game. Irfan is someone who nails the yorker. We had 2 options but we went with Irfan. Tushar stepped up and asked to let him go at number 7. Irfan came up and said 'let me bowl the Super Over'."
[on the debrief] It's all about intent. Somewhere in the middle overs we lacked that. We have got a talented bunch of players, especially under-19s so they wil get good experience.
[on the Super Over] Tushar played a classic cameo to help us win that game. Irfan is someone who nails the yorker. We had 2 options but we went with Irfan. Tushar stepped up and asked to let him go at number 7. Irfan came up and said 'let me bowl the Super Over'."
Player of the Match: Tushar Deshpande
Tushar Deshpande (Player of the Match): (On winning the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance) "Today was a special one because it came through an all-round contribution. It was important for me to go out there and try to finish the game for my team. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it in the first attempt, but the Super Over gave me another opportunity to contribute with the bat. Thankfully, things worked out well, and it was a great feeling to help the team in that situation.
(On the sixes he hit under pressure) Those runs were crucial for the team. My focus was simply on making an impact and trying to get us over the line. When the Super Over arrived, I got another chance to bat, and I was happy to make the most of that opportunity.
(On his aggressive approach with the ball in the Powerplay) If you look at modern-day T20 cricket, the Powerplay is often the make-or-break phase of the game. If I can pick up one or two wickets during those first six overs, it immediately puts the opposition under pressure and sets the tone for our team. That is always my mindset whenever I take the ball. I come prepared to attack and look for wickets because that's the best way to derail the opposition's plans early in the innings.
(On managing his body through a long season) The body is holding up well so far. It's been a long season, but I'm feeling good and looking forward to playing throughout the tournament. The goal is to keep contributing and help my team reach the final."
(On the sixes he hit under pressure) Those runs were crucial for the team. My focus was simply on making an impact and trying to get us over the line. When the Super Over arrived, I got another chance to bat, and I was happy to make the most of that opportunity.
(On his aggressive approach with the ball in the Powerplay) If you look at modern-day T20 cricket, the Powerplay is often the make-or-break phase of the game. If I can pick up one or two wickets during those first six overs, it immediately puts the opposition under pressure and sets the tone for our team. That is always my mindset whenever I take the ball. I come prepared to attack and look for wickets because that's the best way to derail the opposition's plans early in the innings.
(On managing his body through a long season) The body is holding up well so far. It's been a long season, but I'm feeling good and looking forward to playing throughout the tournament. The goal is to keep contributing and help my team reach the final."
That’s it from a gruelling game of T20 cricket! The T20 Mumbai League brings excitement on day 1 with a Super Over finish! Ninaad Dixit here signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Dev Rajawat and scorer Ashok Dayma. Stay tuned for more action from around the world!