UPT20: Karan’s unbeaten 92 powers Kashi Rudras past Gorakhpur Lions

Lucknow, Aug 19 (IANS) Defending champions Kashi Rudras produced a strong all-round performance as captain Karan Sharma’s unbeaten 92 helped them defeat Gorakhpur Lions by 15 runs in the UPT20 League at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here.

The victory was Kashi Rudras’ second in three matches and strengthened their title defence, with the two-time champions once again relying on their skipper to deliver under pressure.

After being asked to bat first, Kashi Rudras posted 194/6 in their 20 overs. The innings, however, was in danger of losing momentum after the Rudras slipped to 88/5 by the 10th over.

Karan then took charge and transformed the innings with an outstanding counter-attacking knock. The right-hander remained unbeaten on 92 off only 48 deliveries, striking four boundaries and nine sixes to take Kashi Rudras close to the 200-run mark.

At the top of the order, Sahab Yuvraj Singh provided the initial impetus with a quick 41 off 25 balls. Karan’s late assault then ensured the defending champions finished with a formidable total.

Gorakhpur Lions made a positive start to their chase but struggled to maintain the required scoring rate as Kashi’s bowlers kept taking wickets at crucial stages. The Lions eventually finished on 179/7 in their 20 overs, falling 15 runs short.

Vaibhav Chaudhary, Vijay Yadav and Sunil Kumar picked up two wickets each for Kashi Rudras, while captain Karan also contributed with the ball by removing Prince Yadav at an important stage of the innings.

Karan’s all-round contribution earned him the Player of the Match award. His unbeaten 92 also took his tournament tally to 161 runs from three matches, helping him reclaim the Orange Cap as the leading run-scorer of the competition.

The captain has previously won the Orange Cap twice in the first three seasons and is once again setting the pace with the bat as Kashi Rudras look to retain their crown.

With two wins from three games, the Rudras have made a positive start to their campaign and will now look to carry the momentum forward.

Kashi Rudras will next face Kanpur Superstars on Thursday, August 20, at 7:30 PM IST at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.

–IANS

sds/