Bengaluru, July 8 (IANS) Captain Vyshak Vijaykumar produced a sensational spell of fast bowling as Mysuru Warriors stormed into the knockout stage of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament with a commanding six-wicket victory over Shivamogga Yodhas at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

After electing to bowl, the Warriors dismantled the Yodhas for just 66 in 10.5 overs before chasing down the target in only 10 overs to seal their place in the last four.

The result ensured Mysuru Warriors finished with nine points from 10 matches to claim the fourth and final knockout berth. Shivamogga Yodhas, despite the defeat, qualified in second place with 10 points, while Bengaluru Blasters topped the table with 18 points.

With the final playoff spot up for grabs before the match, the Warriors knew that a victory by any margin would eliminate Gulbarga Mystics from contention. They responded in emphatic fashion with one of the most dominant bowling performances of the season.

The foundation was laid by Arbind Kumar Rai, whose disciplined swing bowling accounted for the key wickets of Luvnith Sisodia (12), Harshil Dharmani (8), and Sujay Sateri (0). His figures of 3-28 reduced the Yodhas to 57 for five in the seventh over.

Vyshak then delivered a spell to remember. Introduced after Rai’s opening burst, the Warriors skipper conceded just one run in 1.5 overs while claiming three wickets. After giving away a single off his first ball, Vyshak bowled 10 consecutive dot deliveries, striking with his sixth, ninth, and 11th balls to finish with extraordinary figures of 3 for 1.

Left-arm spinner Madhav Bajaj played an equally significant role, returning 3 for 9 in three overs to tighten the screws through the middle, while Ritesh Bhatkal provided the early breakthrough by dismissing opener M.G. Naveen.

It was a dramatic batting collapse for the Yodhas, who entered the contest on the back of three successive victories. Only four batters reached double figures, while five were dismissed without scoring as the innings folded for the tournament’s lowest total.

The chase was straightforward despite the Warriors losing four wickets along the way. L.R. Chethan top-scored with 26 as Mysuru reached the target comfortably with 60 balls to spare.

Brief scores:

Shivamogga Yodhas 66 all out in 10.5 overs (Tushar Singh 15; Arbind Kumar Rai 3-28, Madhav Bajaj 3-9, Vijaykumar Vyshak 3-1) lost to Mysuru Warriors 67/4 (10 overs) (L.R. Chethan 26; Abhilash Shetty 3-15) by six wickets.

–IANS

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