Pune, June 27, 2023: In a rain-affected match that spilled over to the reserve day, Ratnagiri Jets emerged victorious by four runs (DLS method) against Kolhapur Tuskers, securing their place in the final of the Shriram Capital Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) at the MCA International Stadium on Tuesday morning.
The game was heavily affected by showers right from the beginning. However, the playoffs and final have a two-hour time window before over-reduction comes into play. This allowed for a 9.30 pm start and a full game.
Winning the toss, Kolhapur elected to field, a decision that proved beneficial as skipper Kedar Jadhav’s team got off to a strong start. Atman Pore’s impressive opening spell of 2-23 in 3 overs removed Rushikesh Sonawane (0 off 3) and Preetam Patil (4 off 6). Pacer Manoj Yadav (2 for 25 in 3) added to Ratnagiri’s woes by dismissing their captain Azim Kazi for just 1, leaving them at 25-3.
Rain interrupted the game at the end of Ratnagiri’s powerplay, resulting in a reduction to a 15-over match.
After the rain break, Kiran Chormale (34 off 22 balls, 1 four, 2 sixes) and Dhiraj Phatangre (46 off 26 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) formed a crucial partnership of 64 runs. However, they were dismissed in quick succession by left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar (1-26 in 3) and leggie Shreyash Chavan (1-22 in 3), leaving Ratnagiri at 89 for 5. Divyang Hingnekar’s unbeaten 25 (17 balls, 1 four, 1 six) helped Ratnagiri reach 136 for 8 in their 15 overs.
The second rain interruption occurred when Kolhapur was at 18 for no loss after 1.5 overs into their chase. As the showers persisted, the game was suspended for the evening and moved to the reserve day.
On Tuesday morning, Kolhapur started well with Ankit Bawne (18 off 18 balls, 3 fours) and skipper Kedar Jadhav (55 off 37 balls, 2 fours, 4 sixes) taking them to 46 in the powerplay. However, a mix-up in the middle saw Bawne fall short of his ground while attempting a quick single.
Jadhav and wicketkeeper-batsman Sahil Autade (20 off 16 balls, 2 sixes) kept Kolhapur in the hunt, but the penultimate over by Vijay Pawale, a tennis-ball sensation, turned the tide. Pawale dismissed both well-set batsmen, with Rushikesh Sonawane and Divyang Hingnekar taking the catches on the first and third balls of the over, respectively.
Requiring 19 runs off the final over, Taranjit Dhillon hit two boundaries, but it wasn’t enough as Ratnagiri celebrated their victory and secured a place in the MPL final.
Kolhapur will now face the winner of the Eliminator between Eagle Nashik Titans and Puneri Bappa on Wednesday for a chance to reach the final.
Brief scores: Ratnagiri Jets: 136 for 8 in 15 overs (Dhiraj Phatangre 46, Kiran Chormale 34; Atman Pore 2-23, Manoj Yadav 2-25) defeated Kolhapur Tuskers: 130 for 5 in 15 overs (Kedar Jadhav 55, Sahil Autade 20; Vijay Pawale 2-22) by four runs (DLS method).
Women’s Game Called Off
Due to persistent rain, the women’s exhibition match between MCA Yellow and MCA Red was called off. At the time of abandonment, MCA Red had reached 97 for 4 in 12 overs, with Gautami Naik unbeaten on 39 (28 balls, 6 fours, 1 six), accompanied by skipper Devika Vaidya with 30 runs (28 balls, 1 four). On Wednesday, MCA Red will face MCA Blue led by Smriti Mandhana.
