Indore, June 23 (IANS) Gwalior Cheetahs bowed out of playoff contention in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 following a 38-run (VJD Method) defeat to Indore Pink Panthers at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Tuesday.

Kartik Parihar was the standout performer for the Cheetahs, producing a fluent 71 off 46 deliveries. The opener struck 11 fours and a six, anchoring the innings.

After an early setback, Kartik steadied the innings with useful partnerships, while captain Rajat Patidar added momentum with a brisk 37 off 19 balls. Despite the efforts of the duo, Gwalior Cheetahs finished on 157/7 in 17.1 overs.

Earlier, Akash Raghuwanshi was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/40, while Kartik Parihar also chipped in with a wicket as the Panthers posted 221/3 in their 20 overs.

While the result ended Gwalior Cheetahs’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages, the team continued to show glimpses of the promise that has marked their MPL 2026 campaign.

The Gwalior Cheetahs will now turn their attention to their final league fixture against Royal Nimar Eagles on June 24 and will look to conclude their season on a positive note.

Earlier, bowlers made their mark spectacularly, with three hat-tricks lighting up the competition on Monday.

Rewa Jaguars pacer Naveen Chouhan became the first bowler to achieve the feat this season during a clash against Gwalior Cheetahs. Chouhan dismissed Ishan Afridi, Akash Singh, and Saumy Pandey off successive deliveries, finishing with outstanding figures of 3/11. His late burst helped restrict the Cheetahs to 215/9 and played a key role in Rewa’s successful defence of 239.

The second hat-trick came courtesy of Ujjain Falcons’ Aryan Pandey against Bundelkhand Bulls. Pandey trapped Goutam Joshi in front of the stumps before clean bowling Omkarnath Singh with the next delivery. On the hattrick ball, Harshit Parsai miscued an attempted big shot, and Darshan Rathore completed a screamer near the boundary.

The third hat-trick of the tournament came the very next day and belonged to Royal Nimar Eagles spinner Kumar Kartikeya, who produced a stunning spell against Bhopal Leopards in a rain-curtailed encounter. Kartikeya dismissed Pawan Nirwani, Pranjul Puri, and Anurag Malviya off consecutive deliveries and eventually finished with six wickets as the Leopards were bowled out for 107. The Eagles went on to register a commanding eight-wicket victory.

–IANS

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