Warriors, Hawks win big to enter Chandra Shekhar Azad T20 final
Wildwood Warriors and HIIMS Hawks booked their spots in the final of the Chandra Shekhar Azad T20 tournament, being organised by the UT Cricket Association at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sector 3.
In a high-octane encounter, Wild Wood Warriors secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over Talanoa Tigers. After opting to field, the Warriors put on a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Talanoa Tigers to 181/8.
Tigers had a shaky start while reeling at 6/2 before a resilient middle order stabilised the innings. Skipper Raj Angad Bawa (37), Prashant Ahlawat (33), Akshit Rana (30), and an unbeaten Karan Singh (30) contributed crucial runs.
However, the Warriors’ bowling attack, led by Raman Bishnoi (3/22), Neel Dhaliwal (2/36) and Chiragvir Dhindsa (2/36), prevented Tigers from accelerating towards a bigger total.
In reply, Warriors chased down the 182-run target in 19 overs. Despite an early stumble at 53/2, a match-defining 90-run partnership between Aarush Bhandari and Kunal Mahajan steadied the innings. Bhandari who scored a well-crafted 57 off 47 balls was eventually dismissed by Devang Kaushik at 143/3.
The game took a dramatic turn when Taranpreet Singh dismissed Nipun Sharda (7) and ran out skipper Gurinder Singh (6) leaving the Warriors at 166/5. However, all-rounder Paras (14), alongside the well-set Kunal Mahajan, guided the team home with a composed finish.
Mahajan was named Man of the Match for his stellar knock of 71 off 42 balls, which included six boundaries and three sixes, ensuring a hard-fought victory for the Warriors.
In the second encounter, HIIMS Hawks registered a convincing eight wicket win over City Challengers.
The Challengers opted to bat first and set a competitive total of 179/9 in 20 overs which was powered by Sanyam Saini’s explosive 57 off 33 balls with the help of six boundaries and three sixes. Amrit Lubana added 34 runs.
Nikhil Sharma (2/30), Guarav Gambhir (2/37) and Shivam Bhambri (2/45) clinched two wickets each.
In reply, the Hawks faced an early setback by losing Nehal Pajni (6) in the first over itself. However, a stellar 138-run partnership between skipper Shivam Bhambri and Gurtaj Singh turned the game in their favor. Gurtaj Singh played a fine knock of 69 off 40 balls before his departure, while Bhambri anchored the chase with an unbeaten 93 off 61 balls, striking nine fours and six sixes with five balls to spare.
