Ranchi, June 14 (IANS) The Jharkhand T20 Cricket League produced back-to-back thrillers on day four at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, here on Saturday. Koylanchal Super Kings and Chota Nagpur Royals held their nerves in the right moments with close finishes for each team, helping them secure two crucial points each.

In the first match of the day, Koylanchal Super Kings posted 142/3 in 16.4 overs before heavy rain interrupted play. Sharandeep Singh Bhatia anchored the innings with an unbeaten 74 not out off 50 balls, while Robin Minz provided valuable support with a knock of 21. Following the delay, the Ranchi Titans were set a revised DLS target of 82 runs in 7 overs. Despite a resilient chase, the Titans fell agonizingly short by 3 runs, finishing their innings at 78/4. Shrestha (28*) and Satya Setu (28) were the primary contributors to the chase.

Player of the Match Harsh Raj was the standout bowler for the Super Kings, delivering a stellar spell of 3/18 under pressure to restrict the opposition and ensuring a win.

In the second encounter of the day, the Santhal Strikers batted first and posted a competitive 168/8 with Sumit Kumar(60) leasing the batting charge with a solid knock along with Kumar Suraj.

For the Royals, Suprieyo Chakraborty was lethal with the ball, registering brilliant figures of 4/25 in his 4 overs. His spell included a historic hat-trick, the very first of the league along with winning the player of the match award.

Chasing a target of 169, the Chota Nagpur Royals anchored their response on fluent half-centuries from Virat Singh (51) and Avinash Kumar (54). Mohit Kumar’s vital cameo of 35 off 26 balls kept the chase on track, allowing the Royals to cross the finish line on the final ball of the match, ending at 172/7 to seal a thrilling 3-wicket win.

–IANS

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