Ankush’s fastest ton helps Chambal Ghariyals pull off record chase in Madhya Pradesh League

Indore, June 12 (IANS) Fans at the Holkar Stadium were treated to a batting extravaganza as Gwalior Cheetahs and Chambal Ghariyals combined for more than 500 runs in a breathtaking contest in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026. The Chambal Ghariyals completed a record chase of 258 runs by three wickets.

Batting first, it was absolute carnage from the Gwalior Cheetahs batters as they piled up a mammoth 257/6 in 20 overs against Chambal Ghariyals after being put in to bat.

Kartik Parihar and Parth Chaudhary got the innings underway with a 27-run opening stand before Parihar departed for 6 off 7 balls. Chaudhary, however, continued his attacking approach and, along with Saumy Pandey, added another 24 runs for the second wicket before Pandey was dismissed for 10 off 7.

The Cheetahs’ momentum never slowed as Chaudhary found another able partner in Kuldeep Gehi. The duo stitched together a blistering 71-run partnership for the third wicket, taking the attack to the bowlers. Chaudhary eventually fell for a brilliant 73 off 38 balls, an innings featuring six sixes and six fours.

Gehi then received support from captain Rajat Patidar, and the pair took the innings to another level. The duo added 75 runs for the fourth wicket, with Gehi doing most of the damage. The explosive batter eventually smashed 88 off just 42 deliveries, an innings laced with nine sixes and four boundaries. During his knock, Gehi also plundered 34 runs in a single over.

Patidar ensured the fireworks continued at the other end. The skipper unleashed a late assault on the bowlers, while the Cheetahs collected 30 runs in one over from Avesh Khan, further boosting their total. Patidar remained aggressive till the end, scoring 46 off just 16 balls, while Mangesh Yadav provided the finishing flourish with a quickfire 21 off 8 deliveries.

The entertainment didn’t stop there as Ankush Singh came out with attacking intent during the chase for Chambal Ghariyals. Captain Shubham Sharma was dismissed for a first-ball duck, but Ankush showed no signs of caution and launched a breathtaking counterattack.

The opener went all guns blazing and registered the fastest century in MPL history, eventually smashing 101 off just 33 balls. His sensational knock featured 11 sixes and six fours, keeping the Ghariyals firmly in the contest.

However, Ankush’s dismissal triggered a collapse, with Chambal slipping to 155/6 in 11.2 overs after losing wickets in quick succession. Just when the chase appeared to be slipping away, Rohit Kumar Gupta and Aman Bhadoriya joined hands to provide much-needed resistance and keep the hopes alive. Bhadoriya was at 30* off 14 when the equation was down to 56 needed in the final five overs.

With the start of the 16th over, Saumy Pandey came under heavy attack, conceding three sixes in the over and leaking 21 runs. The 17th over also began with a boundary, and it seemed as though the match was slipping away from the Gwalior Cheetahs.

However, Ishan Afridi produced a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Rohit Kumar Gupta for a quickfire 22 off 15 balls just when the Ghariyals were building momentum.

At the end of the 17th over, Chambal needed 25 runs from 18 deliveries, with Aman Bhadoriya firmly set at the crease after bringing up his half-century. But Anubhav Agarwal delivered a brilliant over under pressure, conceding just six runs and tightening the screws on the batting side.

The momentum, however, swung once again in the penultimate over as Ishan Afridi proved expensive, allowing the equation to come down to just 6 runs required off the final over, setting up a thrilling finish. The batters didn’t waste much time and concluded the match will three balls to spare.

Reflecting on his knock and the win, Ankush said, “It feels great to contribute to such a memorable win. We knew the target was huge, but the wicket was very good for batting and we believed we could chase it down. There was never any thought of pressure. We simply focused on playing our natural game and taking the attack to the bowlers.”

–IANS

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