Royal Nimar Eagles continued their impressive campaign in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026, securing a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Bundelkhand Bulls at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Chasing a target of 167, the Eagles crossed the line with three overs to spare, thanks to a composed innings from captain Saransh Jain.
Bundelkhand Bulls Innings
Batting first, Bundelkhand Bulls were bowled out for 166 in 19.4 overs. The Eagles' bowling attack was led by Purple Cap holder Parush Mandal and skipper Saransh Jain, who each claimed four wickets. The Bulls got off to a poor start as opener Kushagra Wadhwa was dismissed for just 1 off 3 balls. Captain Abhishek Pathak tried to rebuild with a brisk 31 off 13 deliveries, but his departure left the innings in trouble.
Rudransh Singh and Shivang Kumar then added 41 runs for the third wicket to steady the ship. Shivang made 31 off 18 balls before falling. Wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals as the Eagles' bowlers maintained pressure. Anant Dubey provided some late resistance to help the Bulls reach a competitive total.
Saransh Jain finished with impressive figures of 4/28 from his four overs, while Parush Mandal took 4/31 in 3.4 overs. Devendra Katheit also contributed with two wickets.
Royal Nimar Eagles Chase
In reply, Royal Nimar Eagles had a shaky start and were soon struggling at 90/5. Captain Saransh Jain then joined forces with Abhishek Mavi to revive the innings. The duo stitched together a crucial partnership, bringing the equation down to 46 runs required from the final five overs with five wickets in hand.
They adopted a measured approach, avoiding further setbacks. However, the required run rate climbed, leaving the Eagles needing 30 runs from the last three overs. The momentum shifted dramatically in the 18th over when Kuldeep Sen conceded 18 runs, swinging the contest in the Eagles' favor.
There was a brief scare when Mavi was dismissed for a valuable 38 off 25 balls, but Saransh remained calm. The skipper stayed unbeaten on 39 off 29 deliveries and guided his team over the line to secure another important victory.
Captain's Reaction
Reflecting on the win, captain Saransh Jain said, "It was a complete team effort. The bowlers did an excellent job of restricting them to a chaseable total, and even though we lost a few wickets during the chase, we stayed calm and backed our plans. Abhishek Mavi played a crucial innings under pressure, and together we focused on taking the game deep. The atmosphere in our dressing room is extremely positive at the moment. Everyone is enjoying each other's success, and that team spirit is helping us perform consistently. We'll look to carry this momentum forward and continue improving with every game."
