Bengaluru: R. Smaran’s unbeaten century powered Gulbarga Mystics to thrilling last ball win over Mysore Warriors in the KSCA Maharaja Trophy T20 cricket match held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here yesterday.

Chasing a target of 196, Smaran’s 104 not out off 60 balls, coupled with a crucial cameo from Praveen Dubey (37), helped Gulbarga to go past the target. With this, Smaran became the first batter this season to score a century.

Earlier in the day, Mysore’s innings was anchored by skipper Karun Nair’s (66) half-century, complemented by Samit Dravid (33) & J. Suchith (40) late innings surge, leading them to a formidable total. For Gulbarga, Monish Reddy (2/25), Prithviraj Shekhawat (2/28) & Yashovardhan Pratap (2/31) delivered standout performances with the ball.

Despite early setbacks, with Devdutt Padikkal (1) and Luvnith Sisodia (4) falling to C.A. Karthik and Vidhyadhar Patil respectively, Gulbarga made the most of the powerplay. Impact Player K.V. Aneesh (24) and R. Smaran stabilised the innings, with Aneesh striking 3 fours off Dhanush Gowda in a single over and Smaran clearing the ropes twice, guiding Gulbarga to 56/2 by the end of the powerplay.

The momentum shifted again in the seventh over when Manoj Bhandige struck twice, dismissing Aneesh and Yashovardhan Pratap (0) quickly, putting Mysore in control. However, Wahid Faizan Khan provided valuable support to Smaran, starting his innings with a six over square leg and scoring 18 off 11 balls before being outfoxed by K. Gowtham in the 12th over. Meanwhile, Smaran reached his half-century in just 30 balls, with five fours and three sixes.

The catalyst was Smaran’s partnership with Praveen Dubey, which yielded 83 runs in just 44 deliveries. Dubey played his part well, striking two sixes and a four before being dismissed by Vidhyadhar Patil in the 19th over. With the match going down to the wire, Smaran brought up his century in the final over and held his nerve to guide the Gulbarga Mystics to a thrilling three-wicket victory on the last ball of the match.

Brief Scores

Mysore Warriors: 196/8 in 20 overs (Karun Nair 66, J. Suchith 40, Samit Dravid 33, Monish Reddy 2/25, Prithviraj Shekhawat 2/28, Yashovardhan Parantap 2/31) lost to Gulbarga Mystics: 200/7 in 20 overs (Smaran 104 not out, Praveen Dubey 37, K.V. Aneesh 24, Manoj Bhandage 2/40, Vidhyadhar Patil 2/42).

Today’s Matches (Aug. 19)

Bengaluru Blasters Vs Hubli Tigers-3 pm

Mysore Warriors Vs Mangaluru Dragons- 7 pm

Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Catch the live action on Star Sports Kannada, Star Sports 2;

Live streaming on Fancode