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Mysore Warriors went on to win their maiden Maharaja Trophy KSCA title after beating the Bengaluru Blasters in the final of the third edition of the tournament. It was a dominating performance by the Mysore Warriors to post a massive score of 207 after batting first and it was always going to be an uphill task for the Bengaluru Blasters to chase such a stiff score on the day of the final.
The competition which was held over 16 days had everything it takes to keep the viewers glued to their television sets. We saw a good amount of spectators during the games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. They were present to see some of their local heroes make a mark in the T20 tournament.
The pitches on offer were mostly belters but had something for the bowlers as well, especially in the first few overs. There was swing and seam movement on offer while the spinners also managed to get some bite in a few matches.
With the tournament having concluded a day ago, let us have a look at five best bowling performances in the Maharaja Trophy:
# 5. Vidyadhar Patil- 3/19 for Mysore Warriors vs Bengaluru Blasters
The spell bowled by Vidhyadhar Patil in the final of the tournament might not be one of the best bowling figures in the competition but given the context of the game, it was one of the most impactful spells of the tournament.
Riding on brilliant knocks from SU Karthik and Karun Nair, the Mysore Warriors posted a massive score of 207 in their allotted 20 overs. The Bengaluru Blasters bowling unit couldn't quite find their lengths consistently and got smashed all around the park.
Vidyadhar Patil accounted for Mayank Agarwal on the final delivery of the opening over and added one more in the form of Bhuvan Raju in his very next over. The Bengaluru Blasters lost their way in the middle overs.
Patil sent back Aniruddha Joshi to eventually finish with an impressive figures of 3/19 to bowl the Mysore Warriors to a convincing 45-run win.
# 4. Jagadeesha Suchith- 4/14 for Mysore Warriors vs Hubli Tigers
The left-arm orthodox spinner Jagadeesha Suchith has made a name for himself in the Karnataka circles. He has plied his trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has been an absolute star of the Maharaja Trophy. In a group match against the Hubli Tigers, it was Suchith who orchestrated a collapse, eventually helping his team register a 56-run win.
SU Karthik and Karun Nair shared an impressive stand. While Nair scored a half-century, he didn't get enough support at the other end. They were eventually bowled out for 165 inside the 20th over and it looked like an under-par score at the halfway mark. However, the Mysore Warriors bowlers were upbeat to the challenge and managed to skittle their opposition out for just 109 in 17 overs.
Mohammad Taha and Thippa Reddy raced off to 34 inside the third over and got themselves ahead in the game. However, Vidyadhar Patil and Krishnappa Gowtham reduced them to 52/4 inside the powerplay. Jagadeesha Suchith proved to be the wreaker in chief in the middle overs.
He ran through the lower middle order and the lower order which included the prized wicket of Manish Pandey. He added three more as the Mysore Warriors won the match quite convincingly in the end.
# 3. Abhishek Prabhakar- 5/21 for Gulbarga Mystics vs Mysore Warriors
Fifers are a rarity in T20 cricket but we saw back-to-back five-wicket hauls in the recently concluded Maharaja Trophy. A stunning spell of medium-pace bowling from Abhishek Prabhakar saw the Gulbarga Mystics restrict the Mysore Warriors to 154 in their allotted 20 overs.
SU Karthik departed early and it was Prabhakar who induced a false shot with a good away swinging delivery. He continued the great work in the middle overs and also dismissed the likes of Samit Dravid, Sumit Kumar, M Venkatesh and Krishnappa Gowtham to take the second fifer of the tournament.
He mixed his pace beautifully and finished with figures of 5/21. It was a below-par score and it was evident from how the Mystics managed to chase it down. Luvnith Sisodia and Devdutt Padikkal got off to a fluent start and shared a 41-run stand. Youngster R Smaran who was one of the most consistent batters managed to score a half-century which eventually propelled them to a 5-wicket win with seven deliveries to spare.
# 2. Abhilash Shetty- 4/9 for Mangalore Dragons vs Bengaluru Blasters
The left-arm medium-fast bowler Abhilash Shetty had a tournament to remember but unfortunately, his stupendous spell of 4/9 came in a losing cause. In one of the best low-scoring thrillers of the tournament, it was an exceptional piece of bowling by Abhilash which was instrumental in restricting the Bengaluru Blasters to 144.
Abhilash bagged the wicket of Mayank Agarwal in the opening over and added the wicket of Bhuvan Raju in his very next over. What made his effort even more special was the economy rate he bowled at. Abhilash also accounted for LR Chethan and Gneshwar Naveen to bowl them out for 144.
The Mangalore Dragons lost two quick wickets but Nikin Jose provided the stability in the middle overs with a beautiful half-century. However, he didn't get enough support at the other end as the Dragons kept losing wickets at regular intervals. A good knock from Lochan Gowda reignited the hopes but eventually, the Bengaluru Blasters registered a 6-run win.
# 1. Lavish Kaushal- 5/17 for Bengaluru Blasters vs Hubli Tigers
This particular match will be etched in the cricketing annals for being the first match in history in which three super-overs were needed to decide the eventual winner. Eventually, the Hubli Tigers managed to win the third super over.
It was an incredible start for Lavish Kaushal in the powerplay. He swung the ball both ways with the new ball and then used his pace variations quite beautifully to become the first bowler in the 2024 edition to bag a five-wicket haul.
Lavish started with the wicket of Mohammad Taha before prizing out the dangerous Manish Pandey at a crucial juncture of the game. Wickets kept tumbling and eventually, the Tigers were restricted to 164. A fine half-century from Mayank Agarwal led the platform to chase the target down.
Aniruddha Joshi and Gneshwar Naveen struck some lusty blows towards the end but couldn't quite get the Hubli Tigers over the finish line. Runs were few and far between in the first two super overs before the match was finally settled in the third super over.
