T20 MUMBAI | Deshpande, Raje star with allround exploits

The seasoned Tushar Deshpande and seasoned Rohan Raje rolled backmost the years to assistance defending champion Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals publication a singular 25-run triumph implicit Bandra Blasters and determination person to the T20 Mumbai semifinals.

At 130 for 8 successful the 15th implicit astatine the Wankhede Stadium connected Saturday afternoon, the Royals looked headed for a below-par total. Instead, Deshpande and Raje unleashed a brutal counterattack, sharing an unbeaten 73-run basal for the ninth wicket to propel their broadside to 203 for eight.

Deshpande led the battle with a stunning unbeaten 55 (25b, 6x6), portion Raje complemented him with 28 not retired (14b, 3x6), turning what appeared an mean full into a formidable one.

For agelong periods of the chase, Bandra Blasters seemed firmly successful control.

Powered by opener Prateek Yadav’s explosive 47 (22b, 4x4, 4x6), Jay Jain’s fluent 46 (23b, 4x4, 3x6) and skipper Suved Parkar’s half-century, the Blasters cruised to 160 for 2 aft 14 overs, requiring lone 44 from the past six.

Then came the collapse. Deshpande triggered the turnaround, dismissing Jain and Dhrumil Matkar disconnected successive deliveries successful the 15th over. Panic dispersed rapidly erstwhile Om Keshkamat was tally retired attempting a risky azygous aft Maxwell Swaminathan’s nonstop deed from mid-on.

Left-arm spinner Atharva Bhosale past accounted for Parkar (56), earlier Raje delivered possibly the decisive implicit of the evening.

Introduced lone successful the 17th over, Raje struck with his archetypal transportation and past indirectly caused different run-out arsenic Bandra imploded spectacularly.

From 160/2, the Blasters mislaid 8 wickets for conscionable 18 runs crossed 21 deliveries and were yet bowled retired for 178, leaving their semifinal hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.

The scores: MSC Maratha Royals 203/8 successful 20 overs (Tushar Deshpande 55 n.o., Chinmay Sutar 31, Ayaz Khan 31, Om Keshkamat 2/28, Royston Dias 2/31, Aashray Sajnani 2/43) bt Bandra Blasters 178 successful 17.5 overs (Suved Parkar 56, Prateek Ravishankar 47, Jay Jain 46, Tushar Deshpande 2/12, Irfan Umair 2/35).

North Mumbai Panthers 194/6 successful 20 overs (Ayush Vartak 83 n.o., Anish Chaudhary 44, Vinayak Bhoir 2/23) bt Aakash Tigers MWS 172/9 successful 20 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 62, Vaibhav Mali 3/15, Pravesh Pal 2/6, Pratik Mishra 2/33).

Women’s League: Thane Sky Risers 156/6 successful 20 overs (Mansi Patil 40, Vrushali Bhagat 29; Siddhi Kamthe 3/29) mislaid to Aakash Tigers MWS 157/3 successful 19.2 overs (Sanika Chalke 68, Soumya Singh 2/34).