Indore, June 26 (IANS) Chambal Ghariyals registered a place in the final of the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 after edging past Jabalpur Royal Lions by 11 runs in a thrilling semifinal encounter at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Friday.

Batting first, Chambal Ghariyals posted a competitive 213/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Openers Ankush Singh and Harsh Dixit provided a steady start, adding 39 runs for the first wicket in 3.6 overs before Ankush was dismissed for a brisk 29 off 14 deliveries.

Shubham Sharma then joined Dixit at the crease, and the pair stitched together a 42-run partnership for the second wicket. Dixit took the attacking route and dominated the stand, eventually falling just short of a half-century after scoring 48 off 24 balls.

Although several Chambal batters got starts, the side struggled to build substantial partnerships and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. At 170/7 in the 18th over, the innings needed a strong finish, and Aman Bhadoriya stepped up to provide exactly that.

The all-rounder played a crucial late cameo, smashing 30 runs off just 14 deliveries to inject momentum into the innings and propel Chambal Ghariyals past the 200-run mark. His aggressive knock ensured the team finished with a challenging total on the board.

In reply, Jabalpur Royal Lions got off to a flying start as openers Aryan Tiwari and the in-form Ajay Rohera stitched together a superb 105-run partnership for the first wicket, putting their side firmly in control of the chase.

However, Chambal Ghariyals finally found the breakthrough in the 11th over when Aman Bhadoriya trapped Rohera in front of the stumps for a well-made 44 off 33 deliveries. The Lions suffered another setback soon after as PDP talent Vedant Awasthi was caught in the deep for 7 off 5 balls.

Tiwari then found support from Ritik Tada, but the partnership was short-lived. Tada attempted to accelerate the scoring but was dismissed for 14 off 8 deliveries after Avesh Khan pulled off a blinder in the deep, leaving the Lions at 127/3 in 12.5 overs. Skipper Rahul Batham then walked in to join Tiwari.

In a surprising tactical move, the Lions retired Tiwari after his solid knock of 51 off 34 balls and sent Sanjog Nijjar to the crease. The decision, however, did not have the desired impact as Jabalpur suffered another major setback when a mix-up in the middle resulted in Batham being run out for 7 off 7 deliveries.

With wickets continuing to fall around him, Nijjar fought a lone battle and kept the chase alive. The equation eventually came down to 20 runs required off the final over. Chambal captain handed the ball to Mayur Patel, and the spinner responded brilliantly under pressure. He conceded just eight runs in the over and also dismissed the dangerous Nijjar for 26 off 17, helping Chambal Ghariyals seal a memorable victory.

Patel finished with figures of 2/30 from his three overs, while Bhadoriya impressed with an economical spell of 1/22 from his four overs.

Reflecting on the win and his performance, Bhadoriya said, “It was a complete team effort. The plan from the dressing room was clear, we wanted to bat deep and take the game till the final overs. Although we couldn’t quite finish the innings the way we wanted, getting past the 200-run mark gave us a strong platform. Personally, I’m very happy with my contribution because the team needed a big score and I was able to play my part. With the ball, I didn’t start as well as I would have liked, but I knew I had to trust my skills and make a comeback. The wicket was offering some assistance for the spinners, and once I adjusted my lengths, things started falling into place.”

“Reaching the final again is a great feeling, but our focus remains the same. We have one more game to go, and our aim is simple: to win the tournament and bring home the trophy,” he concluded.

–IANS

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