Bengaluru/Kota, Dec 13
Hosts Karnataka crushed Kerala while Tamil Nadu edged out Himachal Pradesh on Day 5 of the ongoing 7th edition of the Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2024-25, popularly known as the Nagesh Trophy, being played in two venues in the country.
The 7th edition IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy Group A & Group B league matches began on December 9, featuring a total of five teams from Group A and five teams from Group B battling for glory. Group C league matches started on Friday.
At Altiore Sports, Karnataka opted to bat first against Kerala, scoring 138/2 in 10 overs. Batting second, Kerala managed to score only 83 for the loss of three wickets in 10 overs. Lokesha B. from Karnataka was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant knock of 82 runs off 39 balls.
In the second clash of the day, Tamil Nadu faced Himachal Pradesh and secured a narrow 5-run victory. After batting first, Tamil Nadu scored 98/3 in 10 overs, while Himachal Pradesh managed to score 93/5 in 10 overs. Thangaraj M from Tamil Nadu was named Player of the Match for his 37-run knock in the innings. Both matches were reduced to 10 overs each due to prevailing weather conditions in Bangalore.
With the conclusion of these two matches, the Group A and Group B league matches were wrapped up on Friday. At JK Pavilion Ground in Kota, a thrilling encounter unfolded between Pondicherry and Bihar. Pondicherry scored 120/7 in 15 overs, which was comfortably chased down by Bihar, who scored 121/3 in 14.1 overs. Pintu Kumar Shah was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling figures of 3/19.
In the second game of the day, Haryana batted first, scoring 161/9 in 20 overs, while Rajasthan chased down the target with a score of 162/4 in just 17.2 overs, claiming victory. Sonu Rawat from Rajasthan was declared Player of the Match for his outstanding performance with 78 runs off 48 balls. Both matches were restricted to 15 overs due to bad weather conditions.
At KT Global Ground in Bhubaneswar, the Group C matches kicked off with an inaugural clash between Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Odisha claimed a commanding victory, posting 205/4 in 20 overs, while Uttar Pradesh was restricted to 96/10 in 19.1 overs. Lalprasad Soren of Odisha was named Player of the Match for his outstanding knock of 79 runs off 48 balls.
In the second match of the day between Tripura and Chandigarh, Tripura batted first and posted a score of 124/7 in 20 overs. Chandigarh chased the target comfortably, scoring 128/1 in just 13 overs. Mau Jahid Khan from Chandigarh was named Player of the Match for his impressive performance with 41 runs off 39 balls.
This year’s league matches are being hosted across six venues and will culminate in the Super 8 stage in February 2025. A total of 28 teams, including state and union territory squads as well as an Indian Railways team, are vying for the championship.