164/10 (20.0)
CR : 8.20
171/6 (20.0)
CR : 8.55
Aakash Tigers MWS won by 7 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Ankur Singh
4/39
Over 20
Arcs Andheri 164/10
Hrishikesh Gore4(6)
Deepak Shetty0(0)
Ankur Singh4-39(4.0)
ATM won by 7 runs
5:47 PM IST, Local Time: Aakash Tigers have registered a victory from the jaws of defeat. They have pulled themselves up by bowling excellently at the death. Tigers win by 7 runs while Arcs Andheri know that they should have won this match. Excellent final over by impact player, Ankur Singh, and not to forget the brilliant penultimate over bowled by Vinayak Bhoir. With this victory, Aakash Tigers have registered their second win of the season. Meanwhile, Andheri have suffered their opening loss of the season.
Chasing 172, Arcs Andheri began aggressively through Divyaansh Saxena, who struck two early boundaries before falling for 10. Ayush Jethwa then attempted to anchor the innings with a composed 36 off 32 deliveries, but the loss of wickets at regular intervals prevented Arcs from building sustained momentum.
The chase suffered a setback when Musheer Khan was dismissed for just one, leaving the middle order with plenty to do. Wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar kept Arcs firmly in the contest with a fighting 54 from 39 balls, mixing caution with aggression and finding valuable support from skipper Shivam Dube.
Dube injected life into the chase with a brisk 25 off just 13 deliveries, including three sixes, raising hopes of a successful pursuit. However, Aakash Tigers struck at crucial moments, removing both set batters before they could launch a decisive assault in the closing overs.
With 16 runs needed from the final two overs, it seemed that Andheri will clinch a victory. However, Bhoir had other plans as he bowled an excellent penultimate and gave just five runs in it. Then Ankur Singh gave just three runs in the final over.
Ankur took four wickets and was the star performer. Shams Mulani picked up two wickets and contributed immensely as well.
Arcs Andheri eventually finished on 164 all out from their 20 overs, with extras contributing 11 runs
Chasing 172, Arcs Andheri began aggressively through Divyaansh Saxena, who struck two early boundaries before falling for 10. Ayush Jethwa then attempted to anchor the innings with a composed 36 off 32 deliveries, but the loss of wickets at regular intervals prevented Arcs from building sustained momentum.
The chase suffered a setback when Musheer Khan was dismissed for just one, leaving the middle order with plenty to do. Wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar kept Arcs firmly in the contest with a fighting 54 from 39 balls, mixing caution with aggression and finding valuable support from skipper Shivam Dube.
Dube injected life into the chase with a brisk 25 off just 13 deliveries, including three sixes, raising hopes of a successful pursuit. However, Aakash Tigers struck at crucial moments, removing both set batters before they could launch a decisive assault in the closing overs.
With 16 runs needed from the final two overs, it seemed that Andheri will clinch a victory. However, Bhoir had other plans as he bowled an excellent penultimate and gave just five runs in it. Then Ankur Singh gave just three runs in the final over.
Ankur took four wickets and was the star performer. Shams Mulani picked up two wickets and contributed immensely as well.
Arcs Andheri eventually finished on 164 all out from their 20 overs, with extras contributing 11 runs
Shivam Dube (Captain of Arcs Andheri): (Has the result sunk in yet?) "We’ll take the positives from this game. I don’t think we lost the match as much as we missed our chances to finish it. Some of our batters need to step up in those situations. If Prasad or I had stayed there till the end, we probably would have finished the game in the 18th over.
(Is that going to be the conversation in the dressing room?) It’s not really about having a chat. It’s about how you prepare yourself and respond to situations. We have experienced players in this side, and it’s important that we learn from our mistakes and come back stronger.
(Overall, how does it feel to be part of such a thriller?) Cricket is a game of ups and downs. Not every result is going to go your way. They will take plenty of learnings from this game."
(Is that going to be the conversation in the dressing room?) It’s not really about having a chat. It’s about how you prepare yourself and respond to situations. We have experienced players in this side, and it’s important that we learn from our mistakes and come back stronger.
(Overall, how does it feel to be part of such a thriller?) Cricket is a game of ups and downs. Not every result is going to go your way. They will take plenty of learnings from this game."
Time for post-match presentations...
Stylish Player of the Match: Ajit Yadav
Player of the Match: Ankur Singh
Ankur Singh (POTM): "(On the brilliant performance) It was a fantastic experience. I think in the second season I wanted one more opportunity. Earlier, I was in a situation where I had to defend a total and I couldn't do it, and that disappointment stayed with me. Then, luckily, I got another chance and this time I executed my plans well.
(Plans in the final over) Shankar told me, ‘Ankur, whatever your plans are, they need to be absolutely clear. If you feel that your wide yorker is your strongest option, then stick to it.’ And sir, my plan was simple. I backed my strengths and trusted my action, and fortunately, my plan worked.
(On tennis-ball cricket helping his bowling) Yes, sir. In tennis-ball cricket, the atmosphere is intense. There are lots of spectators, often sitting very close to the ground, so it's not easy. I've already experienced and handled that kind of pressure, so this felt a little easier for me."
(Plans in the final over) Shankar told me, ‘Ankur, whatever your plans are, they need to be absolutely clear. If you feel that your wide yorker is your strongest option, then stick to it.’ And sir, my plan was simple. I backed my strengths and trusted my action, and fortunately, my plan worked.
(On tennis-ball cricket helping his bowling) Yes, sir. In tennis-ball cricket, the atmosphere is intense. There are lots of spectators, often sitting very close to the ground, so it's not easy. I've already experienced and handled that kind of pressure, so this felt a little easier for me."
Sarfaraz Khan (Captain of Aakash Tigers): "(Aakash Tigers and close encounters go hand-in-hand) From the very first match, we've been involved in close games. That's the nature of T20 cricket, it's all about entertainment, and that's what we're trying to deliver every time we step onto the field.
(What was the conversation in the dugout during the break?) We felt the wicket was getting slower as the day progressed. We knew that if we could get 170 on the board, we'd have a good chance of defending it. We also have some quality spinners in the side, and they showed their value today. Naman was outstanding with the ball this afternoon.
(How important is the experience in this side?) Players like Shams Mulani can change the course of a game in a matter of overs. He has the ability to score crucial runs and pick up wickets whenever the team needs him.
(On Ankur Singh's bowling) I've known Ankur for a long time, and I honestly feel we're a little late in bringing him into the side. He's a quality bowler and showed exactly what he can offer today."
(What was the conversation in the dugout during the break?) We felt the wicket was getting slower as the day progressed. We knew that if we could get 170 on the board, we'd have a good chance of defending it. We also have some quality spinners in the side, and they showed their value today. Naman was outstanding with the ball this afternoon.
(How important is the experience in this side?) Players like Shams Mulani can change the course of a game in a matter of overs. He has the ability to score crucial runs and pick up wickets whenever the team needs him.
(On Ankur Singh's bowling) I've known Ankur for a long time, and I honestly feel we're a little late in bringing him into the side. He's a quality bowler and showed exactly what he can offer today."
An extra-special performance from Tigers helps them clinch a victory in this nail-biting thriller. They win their second game of the season and keep themselves alive in the competition.
That's it from our live coverage of this game. This is Mohammad Anab signing out on behalf of my colleagues Omkar Iyer and Ashok Dayma. Cheers.
That's it from our live coverage of this game. This is Mohammad Anab signing out on behalf of my colleagues Omkar Iyer and Ashok Dayma. Cheers.