Royal Nimar Eagles displayed complete dominance over Jabalpur Royal Lions, securing a 7-wicket victory in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 at Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Jabalpur Royal Lions innings
Batting first, Jabalpur Royal Lions posted a competitive total of 176/6 in their 20 overs. The Lions suffered an early setback when opener Arpit Gaud was dismissed for 5 off 9 balls. However, Ajay Rohera and Abhishek Bhandari steadied the innings with a crucial 89-run partnership for the second wicket.
Rohera played a valuable knock of 40 off 29 deliveries before being dismissed. Bhandari continued his impressive form, anchoring the innings brilliantly. He remained unbeaten on 80 off 51 balls, striking seven fours and four sixes. After Rohera's departure, the Lions lost wickets at regular intervals, but Bhandari held one end firmly. Punit Datey provided a late flourish with a quickfire 15 off just 6 deliveries, helping the Lions reach a challenging total.
For the Royal Nimar Eagles, Devendra Katheit, a product of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association's Player Development Programme (PDP), was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 3/26 in his four overs. Kumar Kartikeya also impressed, finishing with figures of 2/34.
Royal Nimar Eagles chase
In reply, the Royal Nimar Eagles got off to a flying start as openers Dharmesh Patel and Himanshu Mantri added 47 runs for the first wicket in just 4.1 overs. Patel made a brisk 23 off 16 deliveries before being dismissed. Mantri then joined forces with Kanishk Dubey to keep the chase on track. The duo added a vital 76-run partnership, putting the Eagles firmly in control.
Nayan Mewada triggered a brief collapse by striking twice in the same over, removing both Mantri and Anand Bais. Mantri was bowled after a well-made 45 off 30 balls, while Bais departed for a first-ball duck. Captain Saransh Jain then walked in and, alongside Dubey, ensured no further hiccups. The pair calmly rebuilt the innings and brought the equation down to just 23 runs required from the final three overs.
Maintaining complete control, the duo guided the Royal Nimar Eagles home with nine balls to spare. Dubey remained unbeaten on a match-winning 70 off 44 deliveries, while skipper Saransh Jain provided excellent support with an unbeaten 32 off 20 balls.
Player reactions
Reflecting on his performance, Devendra Katheit said: "I'm delighted to have contributed to the team's victory. The atmosphere in the dressing room has been extremely positive, and everyone is backing each other to perform. The confidence within the group is growing with every game, and our focus now is to keep building on this momentum and continue delivering strong performances in the matches ahead."
