Maharaja Trophy: Bengaluru Blasters cruise to emphatic eight-wicket victory over Mysore Warriors

Bengaluru, July 5 (IANS) Table-toppers Bengaluru Blasters continued their dominant run in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 after thrashing Mysore Warriors by eight wickets at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

The clinical victory, which marked Bengaluru’s eighth win of the season, was fashioned by pacer Nischith N Rao’s splendid four-wicket haul and an unbeaten half-century from Krishnan Shrijith.

Chasing a modest target of 149, Bengaluru overhauled the total in just 14.4 overs with 32 balls to spare. Openers Bhuvan Mohan Raju (10) and Rohan Patil (34 off 15) provided a blistering start by hammering 47 runs in a mere 3.3 overs.

Though both openers were dismissed within the powerplay, Shrijith and Samit Dravid took control of the chase. The duo stitched together an unbroken match-winning partnership to deny Mysore any further breakthroughs.

Shrijith anchored the chase with a well-compiled 57 not out off 37 balls, studded with six boundaries, while Dravid hit an unbeaten 40 off 25 deliveries, smashing three sixes and a four.

With this win, Bengaluru have consolidated their top spot, moving to 16 points from nine matches, after having already secured a berth in Qualifier 1. Meanwhile, the Warriors languish at fourth place with seven points from nine games, thus intensifying the battle for the remaining playoffs positions.

Earlier, electing to bowl, Bengaluru put on a disciplined bowling display to skittle out Warriors for 148 in 19.4 overs. Rao led the wreckage with figures of 4-34, blowing away the top-order to leave the Warriors tottering at 36/3 inside the powerplay.

K P Karthikeya offered some resistance by hitting 36, before Manoj Bhandage provided a late counter-attack, smashing a quickfire 38 off just 17 balls, laced with three boundaries and as many sixes. Bhandage paired up with Abhishek Prabhakar (11) for a brisk 38-run eighth-wicket stand to push the score past the 140-mark.

Apart from Rao’s stellar performance, skipper Shubhang Hegde (2/19) and Dravid (2/23) chipped in with two wickets each to restrict the opposition to a below-par total.

Brief Scores: Mysore Warriors 148 all out in 19.4 overs (Manoj Bhandage 38, K P Karthikeya 36; Nischith N Rao 4-34, Shubhang Hegde 2-19) lost to Bengaluru Blasters 150/2 in 14.4 overs (Krishnan Shrijith 57 not out, Samit Dravid 40 not out) by eight wickets.

–IANS

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