Jabalpur Royal Lions secured a dramatic three-wicket victory over Gwalior Cheetahs in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026, chasing down a target of 186 with two balls to spare at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday.
Gwalior Cheetahs post 185/5 after solid partnerships
Batting first, Gwalior Cheetahs posted a competitive 185/5 in their 20 overs. Openers Kartik Parihar and Parth Chaudhary provided a steady start with a 36-run partnership before Parihar departed for 15 off 17 balls. Chaudhary then added 30 runs with Kuldeep Gehi before falling for a brisk 39 off 23 deliveries, according to a release.
Gehi anchored the innings and found strong support from skipper Rajat Patidar, who has played four international matches for India. The pair stitched together a crucial 80-run stand for the third wicket, putting the Cheetahs in a commanding position. Patidar, who survived a no-ball reprieve earlier, eventually fell for 37 off 27 balls. Gehi scored a well-compiled 57 off 39 balls before being dismissed late in the innings. Arpit Patel provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 21 off just 12 deliveries.
Jabalpur fight back after early collapse
For Jabalpur Royal Lions, Punit Datey was the standout bowler, delivering an economical spell of 1/23 from his four overs. In reply, the Royal Lions endured a difficult start, losing wickets at regular intervals and slipping to 86/5 in the 12th over, with leading run-scorer Ajay Rohera also back in the pavilion.
With the chase hanging in the balance, Rahul Batham and Sanjog Nijjar came together to rebuild the innings. The duo added a vital 61-run partnership, bringing the equation down to 50 runs required from the final four overs. Batham's fighting knock ended due to a misunderstanding with Nijjar, leading to him being run out for 21 off 16 balls, leaving the Lions needing 39 runs from the last 20 deliveries.
Nijjar's unbeaten 66 seals victory
Nijjar remained unfazed and took charge of the chase. The required equation was reduced to 30 runs from the final three overs and then 11 from the last two. Although the Lions suffered another setback when Punit Datey was run out for 14 off 9 balls, Nijjar ensured there were no further twists. The right-hander produced a sensational unbeaten 66 off just 30 deliveries and guided Jabalpur Royal Lions over the line. The Lions bounced back strongly after suffering back-to-back defeats.
Reflecting on the team's win and his knock, Sanjog said, "First of all, I'm grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to bat on a stage like this and express myself. The franchise, management and team showed a lot of faith in me, backing me to finish games, and that belief gave me confidence. If you don't believe in yourself, it becomes very difficult to succeed. I'm thankful to everyone who continued to support me."
"The message was very simple, watch the ball and play according to it. I focused on staying calm, breathing properly and keeping my intentions clear. We always talk about maintaining positive intent, and when your mindset is positive and your intentions are right, things usually fall into place," he concluded.
