The group stage matches of the Big Cricket League 2024 concluded on Thursday. At the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Vesu, Surat, witnessed two final matches. In the first match of the evening, Rajasthan Regals dominated with a 9-wicket victory, while later in the evening, Yusuf Pathan’s MP Tigers, defeated Irfan Pathan-led Mumbai Marines by five wickets.
In the semifinals on Saturday, the MP Tigers will face the Mumbai Marines in the first match, while the Northern Challengers will challenge the Southern Superstars in their quest for a spot in the final.
Chirag’s knock goes waste
In the first match of the day, Rajasthan Regals (RR) faced the UP Brij Stars (UPBS) in a display of RR’s batting prowess. Batting first, UPBS scored 165/7 in their 20 overs. The standout performer for UPBS was Chirag Gandhi, who played a remarkable innings of 84 runs off just 44 balls, including 7 fours and 5 sixes. However, the rest of the UPBS lineup struggled to make big contributions, with only Asghar Afghan managing 30 runs. RR’s bowling attack was led by the impressive Rahul Shukla, who took 3 crucial wickets for 25 runs in his 4 overs. Shahbaz Nadeem and Dhairya Dalal also played their part, taking wickets each to contain the UPBS batters.
Tillakaratne Dilshan wins the match for RR
In response, RR chased down the target with ease, reaching 169/1 in just 17 overs. The star of the show was their captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored an explosive 75 runs off 41 deliveries, including 13 fours. Samarth Srinivas provided solid support, remaining unbeaten on 53, while Asela Gunaratne added the finishing touches with a quickfire 27. Dilshan’s all-around contribution earned him the Player of the Match award, as RR triumphed by 9 wickets.
Easy win for MP Tigers in a big chase
The following match of the day, MP Tigers (MPT) take on the Mumbai Marines (MM) in another high-scoring encounter. Batting first, MM posted an impressive total of 192/4. Jesal Karia was the star of the show, scoring an unbeaten 101 runs off 57 balls, including 9 fours and 5 sixes. Mihir Agarwal chipped in with 66 runs, forming a crucial partnership with Karia.
The MPT bowlers faced a tough challenge, and while most struggled, Faizal A and Sandeep Kumar managed to claim a wicket each. The MM innings was included some strong partnerships, particularly between Karia and Agarwal, which set a challenging target for MPT.
MPT’s chase was a roller-coaster ride, as they achieved the target of 195/5 in just 18.1 overs. Saket Sharma got MPT off to a flier with a quick 53 runs. However, it was Peter Trego who anchored the innings, scoring an unbeaten 54 to guide his team to victory. Contributions from Saumil Das and Pawan Negi further bolstered the chase, ensuring MPT secured their win by 5 wickets.
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