Dehradun, Sep 20 (IANS): The highly-anticipated Friday showdown delivered an exhilarating contest here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, with USN Indians narrowly defeating Dehradun Warriors by just five runs to secure a direct spot in the final of the Uttarakhand Premier League 2024.
In pursuit of a challenging target of 214, with qualification for the knockout stage at stake, Dehradun Warriors got off to a shaky start as they lost their opener, Vaibhav Bhatt, for a duck. However, Sanskar Rawat formed a steady partnership with his captain, Aditya Tare, who came in at No.3.
While Sanskar anchored from one end, wickets continued to fall at the other, leaving Dehradun Warriors at 66/3 by the end of the Power-play. Despite the setbacks, Sanskar displayed unwavering determination as he raced to his half-century in just 21 balls.
With Sanskar leading the fight, Sagar Rawat offered solid resistance, forming a dependable partnership. USN Indians' Prashant Chauhan broke their momentum by dismissing both the batters in his consecutive overs. He ended their 58-run partnership by first dismissing Sagar, who scored 24 off 16 balls, and later taking the prized wicket of Sanskar, who smashed 80 from 41.
The lower order put up a strong fight to extend the game, but USN Indians' disciplined bowling in the final two overs secured a thrilling win, restricting Dehradun to 208/8.
Batting first, USN Indians delivered a commanding performance right from the start, with openers Yuvraj Chaudhary and Aarav Mahajan establishing a strong foundation. The duo capitalised on the Power-play overs, with their team’s score reaching 74/0. Yuvraj sprinted to his half-century in the ninth over, accomplishing the feat in just 29 balls.
The opening partnership quickly reached the century mark by the 10th over, but that same over also ended their collaboration. On the last ball of the over, Satyam Baliyan trapped Aarav in front, dismissing him for 45 and ending the 110-run stand. The opener’s 29-ball innings featured one four and five sixes. His partner, Yuvraj, also fell shortly after, getting out in the 14th over after an explosive 78 runs off just 47 balls, which included six fours and five sixes.
Aryan Sharma (17 from 12) and Abhinav Sharma (21 from 18) contributed with useful runs while skipper Akhil Rawat’s power-packed 12-ball 36 shot up the team’s total to 213/7.
Earlier in the day, Mussoorie Thunders beat Pithoragarh Hurricanes by eight wickets to register their place in the final of the Women's Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) 2024. Thunders will face Nainital SG Pipers in the final on Saturday evening.