197/7 (19.3)
CR : 10.10
196/7 (20.0)
CR : 9.80
Mysore Warriors won by 3 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Ritesh Bhatkal
0/2875(42)*
19.2
1
Ronit More to Madhav Bajaj
Round the wicket. Full and around off, pushed it down to long off for one.
19.3
1
Ronit More to Ritesh Bhatkal
A yorker, around middle, flicked it down to deep mid-wicket for a single. MYSORE WARRIORS HAVE DEFEATED GULBARGA MYSTICS BY 3 WICKETS WITH THREE BALLS TO SPARE!!!
Over 20
Mysore Warriors 197/7
Ritesh Bhatkal75(42)
Madhav Bajaj6(5)
Ronit More2-41(3.3)
MW won by 3 wickets
6:16 PM IST, LOCAL TIME: Sometimes destiny waits for the brave... and today, courage arrived wearing Mysore colours. What looked like a defendable 196/7 from the Gulbarga Mystics slowly turned into a breathtaking chase as the Mysore Warriors hunted down 197 in 19.3 overs, sealing a memorable three-wicket victory with three balls to spare. Who dictated the first innings? Gulbarga's middle order, led by Dhruv Prabhakar, Thippa Reddy and Manish Pandey. Who stole the spotlight in the chase? Ritesh Bhatkal. His unbeaten 75 off 42 balls anchored one of the finest knocks of the tournament. Throw in a late cameo from Manoj Bhandage and a dramatic rain interruption where Mysore were 159/6 after 15.4 overs, four runs ahead of the VJD par score of 155, and this contest truly had everything.
Let's rewind a bit....
How did the Mystics begin after being asked to bat? With early heartbreak before a spirited recovery. Arbind Kumar Rai needed just the opening over to dismiss Sharath BR for 4, and by the third over he had also removed Aarav Mahesh for 5, leaving Gulbarga tottering at 24/2. Did the Mystics panic? Not at all. Captain Macneil Noronha and Dhruv Prabhakar responded positively, stitching together a valuable 43-run stand while taking the team to 52/2 at the end of the Powerplay. Gulbarga also brought up their fifty before the fielding restrictions ended, ensuring the contest remained beautifully balanced despite the early damage.
What happened once the field spread? Mysore's bowlers tightened the screws. Madhav Bajaj and Lavish Kaushal dried up the boundaries, forcing the batters into patient accumulation. Gulbarga reached 66/2 after eight overs at the strategic timeout before Kaushal broke the partnership by dismissing Macneil for 27. At the halfway mark, the Mystics were 79/3, with Dhruv carrying the responsibility. The right-hander soon reached a composed fifty off 35 deliveries, but just when he looked set for something even bigger, Arbind Kumar Rai returned to complete his excellent spell by claiming his third wicket, removing Dhruv for 51 at 123/4.
Did the innings lose momentum after Dhruv departed? Quite the opposite. It exploded. Impact Player Thippa Reddy unleashed a stunning assault, hammering 51 off just 26 balls, while Manish Pandey played the perfect finishing role with an unbeaten 41 off only 19 deliveries. Their partnerships transformed the innings completely. Gulbarga scored a massive 73 runs in the final six overs, with Thippa and Dhruv adding 56, before Pandey's late fireworks carried the total to 196/7. Lavish Kaushal matched Arbind Kumar Rai with 3 wickets, but the final-ball six ensured the Mystics marched off believing they had posted a winning total.
Now... The Chase!!
Could Mysore have asked for a tougher beginning to the chase? Probably not. Chasing 197, they lost wickets regularly despite racing along. Paras Gurbax Arya removed SU Karthik and Chethan LR, while KP Karthikeya also departed early, leaving the Warriors at 54/3. Still, thanks to Chethan's brisk 23 and the fearless approach of the top order, Mysore ended the Powerplay at 66/3, needing 131 from 84 balls. They crossed the 50-run mark in just 4.3 overs, proving they had no intention of slowing down despite the setbacks.
Who changed the direction of the chase? Ritesh Bhatkal did. And he almost did it alone. First, alongside Impact Player Lankesh KS, he rebuilt through a crucial 68-run fourth-wicket partnership, lifting the Warriors to 87/3 after eight overs at the strategic timeout. Mysore then surged past 100 in only 8.4 overs, reaching 114/3 at the halfway mark, with just 83 needed from the final ten overs. Bhatkal soon completed a superb half-century in only 27 balls, combining controlled aggression with calculated risk to keep the asking rate firmly under control.
Did Gulbarga still have opportunities? Absolutely. Nathan D'Mello produced a brilliant spell, dismissing Lankesh KS (29), Yuvraj Arora (16) and Sagar Gowtham in quick succession to finish with 3 wickets. At 134/4 after 13 overs, the equation stood at 63 required from 42 balls, and the game was delicately poised. Then came another twist. Rain interrupted play at 159/6 in 15.4 overs, but the timing favoured Mysore. Manoj Bhandage had just struck a six followed by a four, pushing the Warriors to four runs ahead of the VJD par score of 155. When play resumed, Bhandage added a lively 24 off 15, while Bhatkal remained ice-cool. Even after Bhandage fell at 177/7, Bhatkal and Madhav Bajaj calmly collected the remaining runs, finishing the chase in 19.3 overs.
What truly separated these two sides? Winning the defining moments. Gulbarga fought back repeatedly with wickets through Arya, D'Mello and Ronit More, but every time they seemed to regain control, Ritesh Bhatkal found another answer. His unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, featuring four fours and five sixes, stood tall above every other performance. The Mystics had three half-centurions across the match - Dhruv Prabhakar, Thippa Reddy and Ritesh's counterpart Manish Pandey nearly reaching one, but Mysore's chase revolved around one innings that refused to blink under pressure. Sometimes one anchor is worth more than three sails.
Let's rewind a bit....
How did the Mystics begin after being asked to bat? With early heartbreak before a spirited recovery. Arbind Kumar Rai needed just the opening over to dismiss Sharath BR for 4, and by the third over he had also removed Aarav Mahesh for 5, leaving Gulbarga tottering at 24/2. Did the Mystics panic? Not at all. Captain Macneil Noronha and Dhruv Prabhakar responded positively, stitching together a valuable 43-run stand while taking the team to 52/2 at the end of the Powerplay. Gulbarga also brought up their fifty before the fielding restrictions ended, ensuring the contest remained beautifully balanced despite the early damage.
What happened once the field spread? Mysore's bowlers tightened the screws. Madhav Bajaj and Lavish Kaushal dried up the boundaries, forcing the batters into patient accumulation. Gulbarga reached 66/2 after eight overs at the strategic timeout before Kaushal broke the partnership by dismissing Macneil for 27. At the halfway mark, the Mystics were 79/3, with Dhruv carrying the responsibility. The right-hander soon reached a composed fifty off 35 deliveries, but just when he looked set for something even bigger, Arbind Kumar Rai returned to complete his excellent spell by claiming his third wicket, removing Dhruv for 51 at 123/4.
Did the innings lose momentum after Dhruv departed? Quite the opposite. It exploded. Impact Player Thippa Reddy unleashed a stunning assault, hammering 51 off just 26 balls, while Manish Pandey played the perfect finishing role with an unbeaten 41 off only 19 deliveries. Their partnerships transformed the innings completely. Gulbarga scored a massive 73 runs in the final six overs, with Thippa and Dhruv adding 56, before Pandey's late fireworks carried the total to 196/7. Lavish Kaushal matched Arbind Kumar Rai with 3 wickets, but the final-ball six ensured the Mystics marched off believing they had posted a winning total.
Now... The Chase!!
Could Mysore have asked for a tougher beginning to the chase? Probably not. Chasing 197, they lost wickets regularly despite racing along. Paras Gurbax Arya removed SU Karthik and Chethan LR, while KP Karthikeya also departed early, leaving the Warriors at 54/3. Still, thanks to Chethan's brisk 23 and the fearless approach of the top order, Mysore ended the Powerplay at 66/3, needing 131 from 84 balls. They crossed the 50-run mark in just 4.3 overs, proving they had no intention of slowing down despite the setbacks.
Who changed the direction of the chase? Ritesh Bhatkal did. And he almost did it alone. First, alongside Impact Player Lankesh KS, he rebuilt through a crucial 68-run fourth-wicket partnership, lifting the Warriors to 87/3 after eight overs at the strategic timeout. Mysore then surged past 100 in only 8.4 overs, reaching 114/3 at the halfway mark, with just 83 needed from the final ten overs. Bhatkal soon completed a superb half-century in only 27 balls, combining controlled aggression with calculated risk to keep the asking rate firmly under control.
Did Gulbarga still have opportunities? Absolutely. Nathan D'Mello produced a brilliant spell, dismissing Lankesh KS (29), Yuvraj Arora (16) and Sagar Gowtham in quick succession to finish with 3 wickets. At 134/4 after 13 overs, the equation stood at 63 required from 42 balls, and the game was delicately poised. Then came another twist. Rain interrupted play at 159/6 in 15.4 overs, but the timing favoured Mysore. Manoj Bhandage had just struck a six followed by a four, pushing the Warriors to four runs ahead of the VJD par score of 155. When play resumed, Bhandage added a lively 24 off 15, while Bhatkal remained ice-cool. Even after Bhandage fell at 177/7, Bhatkal and Madhav Bajaj calmly collected the remaining runs, finishing the chase in 19.3 overs.
What truly separated these two sides? Winning the defining moments. Gulbarga fought back repeatedly with wickets through Arya, D'Mello and Ronit More, but every time they seemed to regain control, Ritesh Bhatkal found another answer. His unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, featuring four fours and five sixes, stood tall above every other performance. The Mystics had three half-centurions across the match - Dhruv Prabhakar, Thippa Reddy and Ritesh's counterpart Manish Pandey nearly reaching one, but Mysore's chase revolved around one innings that refused to blink under pressure. Sometimes one anchor is worth more than three sails.
Macneil Noronha (Gulbarga Mystics Captain): "[Tough loss?] Yeah, hats off to Bhatkal. He played really well, but I feel we didn't stick to our plans. We also didn't assess the wicket properly, and I think we should have read the conditions much better than we actually did.
[Team talk at the end of the 1st innings?] I think we're above par. We were targeting around 180, but we've managed to get another 10-15 runs on top of that. That said, there were a few areas where we didn't execute our plans properly, and our fielding wasn't up to the mark either.
[Was it tough because of wet conditions?] It is what it is. I understand how difficult these conditions can be for the bowlers, but that's the nature of the game. We're not here to make excuses. Whenever we step onto the field, we play to win, and regardless of the circumstances, we have to find a way to get the job done."
[Team talk at the end of the 1st innings?] I think we're above par. We were targeting around 180, but we've managed to get another 10-15 runs on top of that. That said, there were a few areas where we didn't execute our plans properly, and our fielding wasn't up to the mark either.
[Was it tough because of wet conditions?] It is what it is. I understand how difficult these conditions can be for the bowlers, but that's the nature of the game. We're not here to make excuses. Whenever we step onto the field, we play to win, and regardless of the circumstances, we have to find a way to get the job done."
Time for the Post-Match Presentations.....
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: RITESH BHATKAL
Ritesh Bhatkal (Player of the Match): (On chasing 197 and the team's belief) "I think over the last couple of games we've been batting well as a team. It was just that our middle order wasn't clicking. Today, everyone contributed, which is a really good sign.
(On losing early wickets) Not really. I was hitting the ball well throughout the season, so I backed myself. I was confident that if I stayed till the end, I could finish the game for the team.
(On his match-winning innings) I was just backing myself and playing my shots. Whenever the ball was in my slot, I looked to attack it. My plan was to stay till the end and take the team through.
(On batting higher up the order) This season I've been batting at No. 3 in the league and club games, so I was confident batting up the order. I was just waiting for an opportunity.
(On the team's qualification hopes) We'll take one game at a time. We have two more games left in Bengaluru, and we'd like to win both of them and qualify."
(On losing early wickets) Not really. I was hitting the ball well throughout the season, so I backed myself. I was confident that if I stayed till the end, I could finish the game for the team.
(On his match-winning innings) I was just backing myself and playing my shots. Whenever the ball was in my slot, I looked to attack it. My plan was to stay till the end and take the team through.
(On batting higher up the order) This season I've been batting at No. 3 in the league and club games, so I was confident batting up the order. I was just waiting for an opportunity.
(On the team's qualification hopes) We'll take one game at a time. We have two more games left in Bengaluru, and we'd like to win both of them and qualify."
And with that, the Mysore Warriors complete a thrilling chase to register a memorable three-wicket victory, turning a daunting target into a statement win. Gulbarga Mystics will rue the opportunities they couldn't convert despite posting 196/7, while Mysore will celebrate a chase built on resilience, composure, and one extraordinary innings from Ritesh Bhatkal. That's all from this edge-of-the-seat contest. Cricket entertained. Pressure created heroes. And today, Mysore walked away smiling.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Deepak Prakash, and scorer Ashok Dayma. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Deepak Prakash, and scorer Ashok Dayma. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!