Chennai Singams Crowned ISPL Season 3 Champions with Convincing Final Win
In a thrilling culmination to the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) Season 3, the Chennai Singams showcased a masterful all-round display to overpower the Tiigers of Kolkata by 29 runs in the final held in Surat on Friday. This historic victory marks the Singams' maiden ISPL title, achieved in front of a capacity audience and esteemed dignitaries including ISPL Core Committee members Sachin Tendulkar, Ashish Shelar, Minal Amol Kale, and Suraj Samat, alongside president of Operations Dipak Chauhan.
Chennai's Batting Blitz Sets Up Competitive Total
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Chennai's openers Ketan Mhatre and Jagannath Sarkar launched an aggressive start. Despite Jagannath surviving a dropped catch in the first over, Ketan unleashed a ferocious assault, hammering 28 runs in the second over alone. Jagannath departed for 14, but Ketan continued the onslaught, top-scoring with a rapid 30 off just 16 balls. The momentum faced a brief check when Saroj Pramanik struck twice in the first two balls of the 50-50 over, but Sarfaraz Khan's crucial six kept the scoreboard moving. Late fireworks from Ganesh and Sambhaji, who smashed a massive niner, propelled Chennai to a competitive total of 103 for 7 in their allotted 10 overs.
Kolkata's Chase Stumbles as Chennai's Bowlers Dominate
Chasing a target of 104, Kolkata's innings never gained traction. Openers Rajat Mundhe and Saroj Pramanik struggled early, with Jagannath Sarkar providing the breakthrough by dismissing Saroj for 11. Although Krushna Gawali and Rajat added 18 runs in the 50-50 over, Ankur Singh struck back to remove Rajat. Arish Khan offered brief resistance with a quickfire 25 off 9 balls, but it proved insufficient as Kolkata collapsed to 74 for 9, handing Chennai a decisive victory. Anurag Sarshar was the standout bowler for the Singams, finishing with impressive figures of 3/17, while Sunil Kumar and Ankur Singh claimed two wickets each.
ISPL Season 3 Awards and Emerging Talents
The season witnessed the rise of several promising talents, with Vivek Shelar displaying impressive pace and securing a couple of hat-tricks. Ankit Yadav of Kolkata had an outstanding campaign, taking 16 wickets, while Falcon Risers Hyderabad's Prashant Gharat scored 203 runs and Ahmedabad Lions' Nizam Ali excelled with 20 wickets. The award ceremony highlighted top performers: Best Batter went to Saif Ali of Tiigers of Kolkata, Best Bowler to Parveen Kumar of Falcon Risers Hyderabad, Best Catch to Prathamesh Thackeray of Ahmedabad Lions, and the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) to Jagannath Sarkar of Chennai Singams, who won a Porsche 911 car—one of the biggest individual awards in Indian sports history.
ISPL, India's pioneering T-10 tennis-ball tournament, has significantly grown in stature this season, attracting attention with its fast-paced format and high-stakes competitions. The league continues to foster emerging cricketers and entertain fans with its dynamic approach to the sport.
