4S Puneri Bappa stay alive with big win over Eagle Nashik Titans 

Pune, June 12, 2024: India international Ruturaj Gaikwad showed his class as 4S Puneri Bappa thrashed Eagle Nashik Titans by 59 runs (DLS method) in their Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2024 match at the MCA International Stadium here Tuesday.

Eagle Nashik Titans’ decision to field first backfired as Chennai Super Kings and Pune skipper Gaikwad entertained with a classy 89 off 49 balls laced with eight fours and six towering sixes. He was ably aided by southpaw Abhimanyu Jadhav (65*, 39b, 2x4s, 7x6s) as the duo put on 160 for the fourth wicket off 82 balls. That partnership helped Pune to 210 for 4, this season’s highest total. Gaikwad was named the player of the match.

The game was effectively over inside the first six overs of the chase. Left-arm pacer Sachin Bhosale (4-1-16-4) ran through Nashik’s top order, bowling unchanged from the first over. His scalps were – Arshin Kulkarni (0, 2b), Sahil Parikh (7, 9b, 1×4), Mandar Bhandari (4, 9b) and Ranjit Nikam (0, 3b) – respectively.

Pune became the first MPL team to send half the opposition back into the hut inside the power play when Ramkrishna Ghosh (3-0-20-1) dismissed Dhanraj Shinde (8, 3b, 2x4s) to leave Eagle Nashik Titans tottering at 31 for 5.

Nashik were 57 for 5 after 10 overs when rain halted the play. As the play could not be resumed, 4S Puneri Bappa were declared the winner by 59 runs (DLS method). This is Pune’s only second win but it keeps their hopes of playoffs alive. On the other hand, Nashik remains second on 8 points from 6 games. 

Earlier, it was all about Ruturaj Gaikwad. He came in to bat at No. 5 with Pune struggling at 40 for 3 after 5.2 overs. He then steadied the ship with Abhimanyu Jadhav, to steer Pune to 70 at the halfway stage without further damage.

The duo upped the ante in the 13th over, bowled by left-arm spinner Hari Sawant – aided by three wides, the over fetched 14 runs. The 14th bowled Akshay Waikar, another orthodox left-arm spinner, earned Pune 17 with Jadhav hitting two huge sixes.

In the 15th over, Gaikwad unleashed his array of shots (4, 6, 6) on pacer Rehan Khan to bring up his fifty in 34 balls. The 16th bowled by Eagle Nashik Titans’ captain Prashant Solanki went for 21, Jadhav smashing two maximums, matching his captain in a flurry of boundaries.

It looked like Ruturaj Gaikwad would complete his hundred but was caught at deep midwicket by Kaushal Tambe off Digvijay Deshmukh’s bowling on the final ball of the 19th over to end one of the best knocks of the tournament so far. 

Brief scores: 4S Puneri Bappa: 210 for 4 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 89, Abhimanyu Jadhav 65*; Digvijay Deshmukh 4-3) bt Eagle Nashik Titans: 57 for 5 in 10 (Atharva Kale 16*, Kaushal Tambe 14*; Sachin Bhosale 4-16) by 59 runs (DLS Method).

Raigad Royals ease past Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings

Siddhesh Veer scored a measured half-century as Raigad Royals beat Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings by three wickets and two balls to spare in their Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2024 match at the MCA International Stadium here Tuesday.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings (CSK) squandered the opening stand of 75 in 9 overs between Om Bhosale (81*, 48b, 11x4s, 1×6) and skipper Murtuza Trunkwala (44, 39b, 4x4s, 3x6s) to finish 146 for 8. 

Veer (4-0-19-1), bowling his off-spin, gave Raigad the first breakthrough by removing the opposition skipper and derailing CSK’s innings. No other Sambhajinagar batter could get to a double-digit score with  Digvijay Jadhav’s (8, 8b, 1×6) being the third-best score of the innings.

Leggie Sunil Yadav (3 for 24), was named the player of the match for his excellent spell in the middle overs. He was well aided by Raigad Royals’ icon player Vicky Ostwal (4-0-15-1). 

A 76-run alliance for the fourth wicket between south-paw opener Veer and Mehul Patel (42, 35b, 3x4s, 1×6) ensured that Raigad Royals were never troubled in the chase. The only blemish on Raigad Royals’ innings was a mini-collapse – 131 for 4 to 145 for 7 – near the finish line.

Left-arm pacer Pranay Singh, who castled Raigad skipper Naushad Shaikh with a peach of a delivery was the pick of the bowlers for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings with a spell of 3 for 30.
 Brief scores: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings: 146 for 8 in 20 overs (Om Bhosale 81*, Murutza Trunkwala 44; Sunil Yadav 3-24) lost to Raigad Royals: 147 for 7 in 19.4 (Siddhesh Veer 61, Mehul Patel 42; Pranay Singh 3-30) by three wickets.