Maharaja Trophy T20: Mayank Agarwal Masterclass Hands Bengaluru Blasters 9-wicket Win over Shivamogga Strik
Maharaja Trophy T20: Mayank Agarwal Masterclass Hands Bengaluru Blasters 9-wicket Win over Shivamogga Strik, The skipper of the Bengaluru Blasters, Mayank Agarwal, performed an electrifying innings that delighted everyone and helped his team defeat the Shivamogga Strikers by a whopping 9 wickets. Mayank is the second hitter to get a century in the tournament so far and earns the Orange Cap for the evening. He scored 102* in 49 balls, hitting 10 fours and 6 sixes. Rohan Patil of the Gulbarga Mystics got the first century against the Mysore Warriors on Thursday.
The Shivamogga Strikers, who were given the opportunity to go first, promptly got underway with fantastic starts from Rohan Kadam and Sharath BR. In order to make the most of the powerplay, the openers attacked the Blasters’ bowling from the very first over.
In the powerplay, Kadam and Sharath went shot for shot with each other, and the batters appeared to have exceptional touch whether they were hammering the ball through the covers or whipping it through the on side. They scored 54 runs in six overs and kept going until the halfway point, when rain started to fall. Both players, who were nearing the fifty-run mark, quickly reached their landmarks following the break, causing the game to be cut to 19 overs each side.
The pair made scoring appear simple, particularly Kadam, who easily passed the 100-run threshold and amassed 116 for the first wicket. After hitting five fours, Sharath was the first player to go for 51. Soon after, Kadam left the field with a respectable score of 84 off 52 deliveries, including 8 boundaries and 3 sixes.
The Strikers reached 173/2 after 19 overs thanks to a few significant knocks from the last phase from Captain K Gowtham and Avinash D. The goal for the Blasters using the VJD technique would be 175 points.
The Blasters’ opening duo of Mayank Agarwal and LR Chethan also made full use of the favourable batting conditions and the powerplay, scoring at a quick rate, making the day harder for the bowlers.
Without holding back, Chethan and Mayank put all they had at the Strikers’ bowling during the opening phase, playing them over the top and easily breaching the gaps in the field to reach their fifty-run partnership in the fourth over. With the score at 69, Chethan left after one over for 34 off 15 pitches.
The wicket did not, however, slow down Mayank, who was making batting appear absurdly simple. Mayank reached his half-century off 23 deliveries as Aneesh KV held down his part of the bargain. The captain kept hammering everything the bowlers threw at him as he advanced toward a century.
The Strikers were trying to make a breakthrough as a result of the skipper’s devastating hitting, which had the Blasters at 150/1 in 13 overs. Before Aneesh ended the match with another four to fine-leg in the 16th over, Mayank reverse swept the medium pacer Hoover for a boundary and then crushed him for another boundary to get his century. While Aneesh concluded on 35 not out, Mayank finished undefeated on 102 and had been far ahead on the day.
On Saturday at 3 p.m. in Mysore, Hubli Tigers will face Shivamogga Strikers, and at 7 p.m., Bengaluru Blasters will play Mysuru Warriors.
Brief Scores: Shivamogga Strikers (173/2 in 19 overs, Rohan Kadam (84), Sharath BR (51), K Gowtham (18*), J Suchith (1/24), and LR Kumar (14/44), lost to Bengaluru Blasters (176/1 in 15.4 overs, Mayank Agarwal (102/102), LR Chethan (34), and Devaiah (1/24) by a margin of nine wickets.