In the playoff match of the Uttarakhand Premier League yesterday, Nainital Ninjas defeated Pithoragarh Hurricanes by 4 wickets, securing their place in the final. Pithoragarh set a target of 158 runs for Nainital, which they successfully chased down in 18.1 overs, losing 6 wickets along the way.
Nainital Ninjas Showed
Chasing a target of 159, Nainital Ninjas didn’t start well, losing their first wicket at 33 runs. Akash Madhwal dismissed Avnish for just 20 runs. Captain Akash Madhwal then struck again, taking the key wicket of Priyanshu Khanduri, the hero of the last match.
Bhanu Pratap played a crucial knock of 40 runs coming from 28 balls, bringing the team closer to the target. After his dismissal, Harsh Rana and Aarush led the team to victory. Harsh Rana scored 28 runs off 22 balls, while Aarush contributed a vital 12 runs off just 5 balls. For Pithoragarh Hurricanes, captain Akash was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for just 20 runs.
Poor Performance By Pithoragarh Hurricanes
Batting first, Pithoragarh Hurricanes had a poor start, with Shivam Arora getting dismissed for just 12 runs. Following his wicket, Neeraj Rathore, Vijay Sharma, and Vishal Kashyap also fell shortly.It was 105 for 7 wickets. However, Sunny Kashyap played a saving knock of 27 runs off 11 balls, pushing the team’s total past 150. For Nainital Ninjas, Bhanu Pratap Singh was the standout bowler, taking 4 wickets for just 17 runs.