Season 5 Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20

Make it to the knockout stage; to take on Yodhas again in the eliminator

Bengaluru: Skipper Vyshak Vijaykumar produced a sensational spell as Mysore Warriors stormed into the knockout stage of Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament with a six-wicket victory over Shivamogga Yodhas at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here yesterday.

Electing to bowl, the Warriors dismantled the Yodhas for just 66 in 10.5 overs before chasing down the target in 10 overs to seal their place in the last four. The result ensured Mysore Warriors finished with nine points from 10 matches to claim the fourth and final knockout berth. Shivamogga Yodhas, despite the defeat, qualified in second place with 10 points, while Bengaluru Blasters topped the table with 18 points.

With the final playoff spot up for grabs before the match, the Warriors knew that victory of any margin would eliminate Gulbarga Mystics from contention. They responded in emphatic fashion with one of the most dominant bowling performances of the season. The foundation was laid by Arbind Kumar Rai, whose bowling accounted for the key wickets of Luvnith Sisodia (12), Harshil Dharmani (8) and Sujay Sateri (0). His figures of 3-28 reduced the Yodhas to 57 for five in the seventh over.

Introduced after Rai’s opening burst, the Warriors skipper Vyshak conceded just one run in 1.5 overs while claiming three wickets. After giving away a single off his first ball, Vyshak bowled 10 consecutive dot deliveries, striking with his sixth, ninth and 11th balls to finish with extraordinary figures of 3 for 1.

Left-arm spinner Madhav Bajaj played an equally significant role, returning 3 for 9 in three overs, while Ritesh Bhatkal provided the early breakthrough by dismissing opener M.G. Naveen. It was a dramatic batting collapse for the Yodhas, who entered the contest on the back of three successive victories. Only four batters reached double figures, while five were dismissed without scoring as the innings folded for the tournament’s lowest total.

The chase was straightforward despite the Warriors losing four wickets along the way. L.R. Chethan top-scored with 26 as Mysore Warriors reached the target with 60 balls to spare.

In the other match, Coastal Kings Mangaluru beat Mystics by 3 runs. Batting first, Mangaluru scored 169/9 in 20 overs. Chasing the target of 170,  Gulbarga Mystics fell three runs short of the target as they were restricted to 166/7 in 20 overs.