Mixed outings for Majhi Mumbai and Chennai Singams in tourney openers: ISPL T10 Season 2

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The much awaited six team ISPL season 2, India’s first-ever T10 Tennis ball cricket tournament played inside a stadium, got underway with an exhilarating opening ceremony featuring the likes of Bollywood diva Jacqueline Fernandez and the popular comic duo of Krushna and Kiku, before the on-field action witnessed a clinical Majhi Mumbai registering a convincing eight-wicket victory over reigning champions Tigers of Kolkata at hane based Dadoji Konddev Stadium.

Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, who also is one of the ISPL core committee members, in his message to the participating players said, “Be fearless but don't be careless.", He further highlighted the innovations for the new season, "This season ISPL & SG co-created the reverse swing ball, which will make life a little difficult for the batters when the strategy come into play (third, fourth, fifth or ninth over)”

Sachin, along with the other members of the core committee Ashish Shelar, Minal Amol Kale, Suraj Samat, also paid tributes to former Mumbai Cricket Association President Amol Kale, who passed away last year while watching India vs Pakistan ICC T29I World Cup match that was co hosted by USA and West Indies last year.  The core committee also presented a cheque worth Rs 3 lakh as part of the Children Education Scholarship to Muktangan Foundation.

Last editions losing finalist Majhi Mumbai disciplined show with the ball saw them restrict their erstwhile rivals to 68/8, in the face of Ankur Singh piloting a top order collapse that saw Kolkata reduce to 22/3 and Rajendra Singh’s two wickets. Lusty blows by Bhavesh Pawar (16) and Sarfaraz Khan (11) at the back end of the innings saw Kolkata reach 68 despite losing three more wickets on the final over of their innings.

In response, Majhi Mumbai Rajat Mundhe and Karan More (26 not) stabilised the innings following the early loss of their opener Mohammed Nadeem in the very first over. The hosts who had scored 31/1 by the strategic time-out, picked up pace in the 8th over for the 50-50 challenge. Needing 22 off 18 at this stage,  a well set Karan scored back to back boundaries of Imroz Khan in his very first two deliveries in his unbeaten knock of 26, before new batter Amit Naik (21 not out) took the bowler to the cleaners twice consecutively to help his side romp home by 8 wickets.

The presence of Kollywood actor and film producer Saravanan Sivakumar aka  ‘Suriya’ at the venue on the other hand failed to inspire Chennai Singams in its tournament opener of the Indian Street Premier League 2025 against Falcon Risers Hyderabad as the latter won by eight-wickets and with three overs to spare.

Remarkably it was a former Singam that took the game away from the Singams.  Riding on captain Bablu Patil’s cameo of 19 runs off five balls, the Falcons overhauled a target of 73 at the end of the seventh over. Patil who was an integral part of the Chennai Singams last year – took on Devid Gogoi in the 50-50 over and finished the game.

In fact, Gogoi started the 50-50 over – an ISPL innovation that either adds half the runs that actual runs scored (10 or more) bonus runs or deducts penalty runs (up to 9) to the batting team – on an ideal note by dismissing Shreyas Kadam. The next ball was a full-toss and Patil hit it straight to the midwicket boundary but despite being caught, he survived as the umpire adjudged it as a no-ball.

Patil was then given another reprieve two balls later with a difficult chance spilling for a one-bounced four. He then made the most by finishing the game off with two consecutive sixes. With the Falcons having scored 21 runs in the over, it meant they were awarded seven bonus runs and thus the match came to an end.

Earlier in the evening, left-handed opener Jagat Sarkar (22 off 8 balls, 1x4, 2x6) got the Singams off the blocks rapidly. However, it lost the momentum with both the openers being dismissed off successive balls in the second over. While “Biker Man” Ketan Mhatre was caught at mid-off, Sarkar was unfortunately run-out off the next ball.

It forced veteran Sumeet Dhekale to play out the middle overs with caution. However, the Singams could not accelerate starting with the seventh over, which was chosen as the 50-50 over. It could add just seven runs and was thus penalised four.

In the end, the 50-50 over resulted in being a major point of difference. Despite starting its campaign with a loss, the Chennai Singams aim to bounce back strongly in their next outing against KVN Bangalore Strikers

Brief scores (League Phase):

Tigers Of Kolkata - 68/8 in 10 overs (Bhavesh Pawar 16, Moyoddin Alimuddin Shaikh 15, Sarfaraz Khan 11; Ankur Singh 2/14, Rajendra Singh 2/6, Abhishek Kumar Dalhor 1/10) lost to Majhi Mumbai - 84/2 in 8 overs (Karan More 26*, Amit Naik 21* , Rajat Mundhe 14; Shivam Kumar 1/9, Imroz Khan 1/32) by 8 wickets and 3 overs to spare.

Chennai Singams - 68/8 in 10 overs (Jagat Sarkar 22, Rahul Sawant 14; Parveen Kumar 2/14, Vicky Bhoir 2/18) lost to Falcon Risers Hyderabad - 73/2 in 7 overs (Padmesh Mhatre 23*, Bablu Patil 19*; Jignesh Patel 1/20) by 8 wickets and 3 overs to spare.

Photo Cover: Majhi Mumbai players disciplined show was the cornerstone of their win over defending champions Tigers of Kolkata in the ISPL T10 Season 2 tournament opener

Photo AboveChennai Singams batters posted a modest score in their opening league match against Falcon Risers Hyderabad

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