Mohali (Punjab) [India], September 9 (ANI): Jalandhar Warriors held their nerves to steal a win against Ludhiana Lions by seven runs in the Mankind Pharma Sher-E-Punjab T20 League Powered by Punjab Kings at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
The Warriors posted 169/8 in 20 overs after Ludhiana's bowlers put up a strong show. Jalandhar got off to a poor start and were reduced to 16/3 in just the second over. However, Prabhsimran Singh and Gourav Makan joined hands to steady the innings, according to a release.
The two batters played carefully at first before finding their rhythm and adding valuable runs. Prabhsimran scored 39 off 30 balls before being dismissed, leaving Jalandhar in another difficult position.
Gourav continued his good form and scored a crucial half-century. He made 52 off 43 balls before losing his wicket, but his knock gave Jalandhar a strong base for the final overs.
Aryan Yadav then took charge and provided the late push Jalandhar needed. He remained unbeaten on 35 off 26 balls to help the Warriors reach 169/8.
For Ludhiana Lions, Krish Bhagat was the best bowler. He picked up four wickets for 37 runs in four overs, while Kartik Chadha finished with 1/21 in his four overs.
Ludhiana made a steady start to the chase, with openers Abhijeet Garg and Bikramjeet Singh adding 49 runs for the first wicket. However, the Lions then lost a few quick wickets and were reduced to 79/3, the release said.
Arjun Rajput and Salil Arora then gave Ludhiana hope by putting together a 54-run partnership. Rajput scored 45 off 33 balls before being dismissed, while Salil made 26 off 24 balls.
The Lions needed 19 runs from the final two overs to win. Krish Bhagat kept the chase alive by hitting a six off the final ball of the 19th over, reducing the target to 10 runs from six balls.
Randeep Singh bowled the final over and made an immediate impact, dismissing Aseem Kohli for 11 off seven balls off the first delivery. He then removed Havneet for a duck off the next two balls, leaving Ludhiana in deep trouble.
With two balls left, Krish Bhagat came back on strike and tried to finish the chase with another big shot. However, he failed to clear the boundary and could only take a single. Ludhiana needed eight runs from the final ball, but didn’t get anything on it.
As a result, Jalandhar Warriors secured a thrilling seven-run victory, while Ludhiana Lions fell just short despite a late fightback and were restricted to 162/8 in 20 overs. (ANI)
Jalandhar Warriors edge Ludhiana Lions by seven runs in Sher-E-Punjab T20 League
