Mumbai, June 10 (IANS) SOBO Mumbai Falcons kept their semifinal hopes alive with a commanding seven-wicket victory over table-toppers North Mumbai Panthers in the penultimate league-stage match of the T20 Mumbai League 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The defeat, however, had no bearing on the Panthers, who had already booked their place in the last four, winning four out of five matches.

Chasing 158 for victory, the Falcons produced a composed batting performance, powered by opener Ishan Mulchandani’s fluent 65, to reach the target with 11 balls to spare. The result means the battle for the remaining semi-final berths will now hinge on the outcome of the clash between Arcs Andheri and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals later tonight.

The Falcons made a cautious start, with Mulchandani and Awais Khan (6) adding 26 runs before the latter was trapped leg-before. Mulchandani then combined with Naman Jhawar (22) for a steady 28-run stand, ensuring the chase remained on course.

While Jhawar was unable to capitalise on his start, Mulchandani continued to anchor the innings, rotating the strike effectively and punishing loose deliveries. The opener later stitched together a decisive 77-run partnership with Gautam Waghela (45 not out), taking the Falcons within touching distance of victory.

Mulchandani eventually departed in the 15th over while attempting a big hit, but not before virtually sealing the contest. His 65-run knock featured two boundaries and five towering sixes. Waghela, along with captain Aditya Tare (10 not out), then calmly guided the Falcons home.

Earlier, Panthers were restricted to 157, thanks largely to a superb four-wicket haul from Mayuresh Tandel. After losing an early wicket, Abhigyan Kundu (45) and Anish Chaudhery (32) rebuilt the innings with a 78-run partnership for the second wicket.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically after Chaudhery’s dismissal. Tandel struck at regular intervals to trigger a middle-order collapse, while Kundu too fell short of converting his promising start into a substantial score. The rest of the batting line-up struggled to make an impact as the Panthers were eventually bowled out for 157.

Tandel starred with the ball, while Yash Dicholkar (2/17) and Vedant Gore (2/33) chipped in with two wickets each to complete an impressive all-round performance for the Falcons.

Semifinals will be played on Thursday.

Brief scores:

North Mumbai Panthers 157 all out in 19.2 overs (Abhigyan Kundu 45, Anish Chaudhery 32; Mayuresh Tandel 4/30) lost to SOBO Mumbai Falcons 158/3 in 18.1 overs (Ishan Mulchandani 65, Gautam Waghela 45 not out; Pratik Mishra 1/20) by 7 wickets.

–IANS

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