Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], June 13 (ANI): Koylanchal Super Kings and Jamshedpur Steelers secured hard-fought victories over Chota Nagpur Royals and Dhanbad Diamonds, respectively, on the third day of the Jharkhand T20 Cricket League at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.
Koylanchal Super Kings won by five wickets, while Jamshedpur Steelers sealed their victory by seven runs, as per a release.
First Match: Koylanchal Super Kings vs Chota Nagpur Royals
In the opening match of the day, Chota Nagpur Royals were bowled out for 190 in 19.4 overs. Chandan Kumar Mukhi top-scored with a brisk 49. He was well-supported by openers MD Nazim Siddiqui (41) and Virat Singh (36). For Koylanchal Super Kings, Shubh Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 3/43 in 3.4 overs.
Chasing 191, Koylanchal Super Kings got off to a flyer as Utkarsh Singh (53) and Player of the Match Sharandeep Singh Bhatia (79) stitched a commanding 122-run opening partnership. A late cameo from Shubh Sharma guided the team home in 19.1 overs, finishing at 192/5 to seal a five-wicket victory with five balls to spare. For the Royals, Supriyo Chakraborty bowled a magnificent spell of 5/29, becoming only the third bowler in the league to claim a five-wicket haul, but it was in vain.
Second Match: Jamshedpur Steelers vs Dhanbad Diamonds
The second encounter saw another batting masterclass as Jamshedpur Steelers posted a formidable 202/6, with Adarsh Giri (41) and Kumar Debobrat (24) performing. For Dhanbad Diamonds, Shamshed Ahmad led the bowling attack with 4/39, while Atul Singh Surwar chipped in with 2/33.
Facing a target of 203, Dhanbad Diamonds started their chase aggressively. Openers Ram Raushan Sharan (63) and Vikash Kumar Vishal (58) put on a spectacular 118-run partnership for the first wicket. However, the Steelers' bowlers strangled the Diamonds in the death overs, restricting them to 195/8 in 20 overs to snatch a narrow seven-run victory.
Pratik Ranjan was the star with the ball for Jamshedpur, returning economical figures of 3/27 to turn the tide in the middle overs. Ravi Sharma took 2/24 in his three overs and was named Player of the Match for his contribution of 30 not out off 19 balls with the bat as well.
