Indore, June 21 (IANS) Jabalpur Royal Lions pulled off a thrilling three-wicket victory over Gwalior Cheetahs, chasing down a challenging target of 186 with two balls to spare in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

Batting first, Gwalior Cheetahs posted a competitive 185/5 in their 20 overs. Kartik Parihar and Parth Chaudhary gave the innings a steady start, adding 36 runs for the opening wicket before Parihar departed for 15 off 17 deliveries. Chaudhary then combined with Kuldeep Gehi for a 30-run partnership before falling for a brisk 39 off 23 balls.

Gehi continued to hold the innings together and found strong support from skipper Rajat Patidar (who has played 4 international matches for India). The pair stitched together a crucial 80-run stand for the third wicket to put the Cheetahs in a commanding position. Patidar, who had earlier survived after a no-ball reprieve, eventually fell for 37 off 27 deliveries. Gehi carried on to score a well-compiled 57 off 39 balls before being dismissed late in the innings. Arpit Patel provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 21 off just 12 deliveries.

For Jabalpur Royal Lions, Punit Datey was the standout bowler, delivering an economical spell of 1/23 from his four overs.

In reply, the Royal Lions endured a difficult start, losing wickets at regular intervals and slipping to 86/5 in the 12th over, with the team’s leading run-scorer Ajay Rohera also back in the pavilion.

With the chase hanging in the balance, Rahul Batham and Sanjog Nijjar came together to rebuild the innings. The duo added a vital 61-run partnership, bringing the equation down to 50 runs required from the final four overs. Batham’s fighting knock came to an end due to a misunderstanding with Sanjog leading to him being run out for 21 off 16 balls, leaving the Lions needing 39 runs from the last 20 deliveries.

Nijjar, however, remained unfazed and took charge of the chase. The required equation was reduced to 30 runs from the final three overs and then 11 from the last two. Although the Lions suffered another setback when Punit Datey was run out for 14 off 9 balls, Nijjar ensured there were no further twists in the contest.

The right-hander produced a sensational unbeaten 66 off just 30 deliveries and guided Jabalpur Royal Lions over the line. The Lions bounced back strongly in the tournament after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Reflecting on the team’s win and his knock, Sanjog said, “First of all, I’m grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to bat on a stage like this and express myself. The franchise, management and team showed a lot of faith in me, backing me to finish games, and that belief gave me confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself, it becomes very difficult to succeed. I’m thankful to everyone who continued to support me.”

“The message was very simple, watch the ball and play according to it. I focused on staying calm, breathing properly and keeping my intentions clear. We always talk about maintaining positive intent, and when your mindset is positive and your intentions are right, things usually fall into place,” he concluded.

–IANS

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