5 best knocks in Maharaja Trophy 2024 ft. Karun Nair
The final match of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2024 saw the Mysore Warriors take on the Bengaluru Blasters on Sunday, September 1. Blasters’ captain Mayank Agarwal won the toss and asked Mysore to bat first. Opener SU Karthik scored 71 off 44 balls, hitting seven boundaries and three sixes.
Meanwhile, Karun Nair continued his excellent form, scoring 66 off 45 balls with six fours and three sixes. Towards the end, Manoj Bhandage played a brilliant cameo of 44 off 13 balls, hitting two fours and five sixes, as the Mysore Warriors finished at 207-4 in their allotted 20 overs.
In response, Bengaluru lost Mayank Agarwal early for six in the first over. LR Chethan scored 51 off 32 balls, including three fours and four sixes. However, the Blasters kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Kranthi Kumar made 39* off 21 balls towards the end as Bengaluru finished at 162-8 in their 20 overs, losing the game by 45 runs.
The Mysore Warriors won both the match and the championship. As the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2024 came to an end, we will look at the top five knocks of the tournament.
#5 Abhinav Manohar - 70 off 27 balls
In the 20th match of the tournament, the Hubli Tigers took on the Shivamogga Lions. After winning the toss, the Lions chose to bowl first. The Tigers struggled with the bat, being bowled out for 141 in 19.3 overs, with Manish Pandey finishing as the top scorer with 44 runs.
In response, Abhinav Manohar played a spectacular innings for the Shivamogga Lions. The 29-year-old scored 70 off 27 balls, including two boundaries and nine sixes, before being dismissed by Aneeshwar Gautam. Thanks to his exceptional performance, the Lions secured a six-wicket victory with 29 balls to spare.
#4 Abhinav Manohar - 84* off 34 balls
In the fifth match of the tournament, the Mangalore Dragons won the toss and chose to bowl first against the Shivamogga Lions. The Lions had a challenging start, struggling at 47/3 after 8.2 overs.
Abhinav Manohar, coming in at No. 5, delivered a stellar performance, scoring 84 runs off 34 balls, including three fours and nine sixes, helping the Lions finish at 175-6 in their 20 overs.
In response, Rohan Patil led the Dragons' chase with an impressive 72 off 40 balls, with the help of six fours and five maximums. The Dragons secured an eight-wicket victory with 22 balls to spare.
#3 Smaran R - 104* off 60 balls
In the seventh match of the tournament, Karun Nair spearheaded the Mysore Warriors' innings with a superb 66 off 35 balls, helping them reach a total of 196/8 in their 20 overs.
In response, the Gulbarga Mystics got off to a rocky start, losing two wickets for just seven runs. Smaran R, batting at No. 4, played a match-winning innings. The left-handed batter remained unbeaten on 104 off 60 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and four sixes. His decisive four on the last ball secured a three-wicket victory for the Mystics.
#2 Krishnan Shrijith - 100* off 51 balls
In the final league stage match of the tournament, the Hubli Tigers faced the Gulbarga Mystics. Krishnan Shrijith delivered a spectacular performance, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 51 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes. His efforts helped the Tigers post a total of 179-7 in their 20 overs.
In response, the Gulbarga Mystics struggled initially, losing three wickets for just 28 runs. Vijaykumar Vyshak scored 51 off 33 balls, with seven fours and one six.
Towards the end, Ritesh Bhatkal (35* off 19 balls) and Praveen Dubey (34* off 14 balls) combined for an unbeaten 57-run partnership off 28 balls, leading Gulbarga to victory. The Mystics won by four wickets with five balls to spare.
#1 Karun Nair - 124* off 48 balls
In the 10th match of the tournament, the Mysore Warriors took on the Mangalore Dragons. Mysore captain Karun Nair delivered an exceptional performance, scoring 124* off 48 balls, including 13 boundaries and nine sixes. His innings helped the Mysore Warriors post a formidable total of 226-4 in their 20 overs.
In response, the Mangalore Dragons were set a revised target of 166 runs in 14 overs under the DLS method due to rain. Krishnamurthy Siddharth scored 50 off 27 balls, hitting nine fours and one six. Despite his effort, the Dragons fell short and lost the game by 27 runs.