In a dominant display of street cricket prowess, the Chennai Singams secured a comprehensive five-wicket victory over the Ahmedabad Lions during the crucial Qualifier 1 match of the Indian Street Premier League's third season. The encounter, held at Surat's Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, saw Chennai book their place directly in the title clash scheduled for February 6 through a combination of incisive bowling and a composed chase.
Ahmedabad's Batting Collapse
The match was decisively shaped during the early Tape Ball overs when Chennai's bowlers dismantled the Ahmedabad batting lineup. Opening bowler Ashish Pal delivered a devastating spell that set the tone for the innings, claiming three crucial wickets in his opening burst. The Lions' top order crumbled immediately, with both openers Sikandarbhai Bhatti and Prathamesh Thakre dismissed for ducks within the first three deliveries of the match.
Brief Resistance and Continued Pressure
Birendra Ram attempted to launch a counterattack with a brisk 13 that included two sixes, but the momentum never truly shifted in Ahmedabad's favor. The pressure intensified as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals throughout the innings. Jagannath Sarkar bowled a miserly spell, conceding just five runs in his two overs while picking up two important wickets. Anurag Sarshar then wrapped up the lower order with two dismissals of his own.
Amid the collapse, Amit Naik provided some resistance with a gritty 20 off 15 balls, emerging as the top scorer for Ahmedabad. However, the Lions' innings never gained substantial momentum and they were eventually bowled out for a meager 57 runs in just 9.4 overs, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the field.
Chennai's Commanding Chase
Chasing a modest target of 58 runs, the Chennai Singams approached their innings with clear intent from the very beginning. Ketan Mhatre provided explosive early momentum with a rapid 23 off just nine deliveries, striking at an astonishing rate to give Chennai a flying start. Despite losing Nagesh Wadekar for a duck, the chase remained firmly under control.
Calm Finish to Seal Victory
Aman Yadav then took charge of the innings, guiding the chase to its conclusion with calm assurance. His unbeaten 22 from 11 balls was punctuated by four boundaries and demonstrated excellent composure under pressure. Sarfraz Khan provided able support with an unbeaten 3 runs as Chennai reached 61/5 in just 8 overs, sealing the victory with two full overs to spare.
Tournament Implications
This convincing win means the Chennai Singams have earned direct entry into the ISPL Grand Finale scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Lions now face a must-win situation in Qualifier 2 on Thursday. Attention now shifts to Wednesday's Eliminator match where Majhi Mumbai will face Tiigers of Kolkata in a knockout encounter. The winner of that match will advance to challenge Ahmedabad Lions in Qualifier 2, with the victor earning the right to face Chennai Singams in the championship decider.
Brief Scores: Ahmedabad Lions 57/10 in 9.4 overs (Amit Naik 20, Birendra Ram 13; Ashish Pal 3/11, Jagannath Sarkar 2/5) lost to Chennai Singams 61/5 in 8 overs (Ketan Mhatre 23, Aman Yadav 22*; Zaid Khan 2/5, Prathamesh Thakre 2/10) by 5 wickets.
