UP T20 League 2023 top run-getters and wicket-takers after Gorakhpur Lions vs Noida Super Kings match (Updated) ft. Sameer Rizvi and Nitish Rana
In the fourth match of the UP T20 League 2023, the Kanpur Superstars secured a resounding seven-wicket victory over the Meerut Mavericks. In the fifth game, the Noida Super Kings thumped the Gorakhpur Lions, further solidifying their top position on the table. Green Park in Kanpur hosted both of these games.
Turning our attention to the fourth contest, the Kanpur Superstars won the toss and forced Meerut to bat first. Opener Swastik Chikara delivered a spectacular performance, achieving the tournament's first-ever century off just 57 balls at an impressive strike rate of 175.44. Chikara received valuable support from Rinku Singh at No. 4. He contributed with a quickfire 24-ball 42-run knock, featuring five fours and one six.
In the middle-order, Divyansh Joshi's cameo was pivotal as he smashed a four-ball unbeaten 17-run knock at a remarkable strike rate of 425, propelling the team to a formidable total of 204/3 in 20 overs. Ankit Rajpoot, Aquib Khan and Prashant Choudhary bagged one wicket each for Kanpur.
In response, the Kanpur Superstars faced an early setback as they lost their opener Rahul Rajpal for a duck. However, Ansh Yadav and No. 3 batter Sameer Rizvi stitched together a 130-run second-wicket partnership to keep Kanpur in contention.
Rizvi’s top-class knock came to an end after scoring the competition's second century, amassing 122 runs off 59 balls. Following his dismissal, captain Akshdeep Nath made sure there was no hiccup in a straightforward chase and remained unbeaten on 25, taking his side over the line with one over to spare.
Shifting our focus to the fifth encounter, the Noida Super Kings never looked back after opting to bat first. Although Dhruv Pratap Singh looked impressive with a three-wicket haul early in the innings for the Lions, Noida went on to muster a total of 182/5 in 20 overs, thanks to Samarth Singh, Aditya Sharma and Prashant Veer, who smacked 40-plus totals in taking their side to an imposing total.
In reply, the Lions never looked comfortable in the chase, losing their five wickets for just 35 runs. However, their middle-order batters tried to steady the chase, but it was too late for them, losing the contest in the end by 43 runs.
UP T20 League 2023 Most Runs List
Kanpur Superstars' Sameer Rizvi bagged the top spot on the batting charts with 163 runs from two matches at an average of 81.5 and an impressive strike rate of 201.23. Following him is Noida Super Kings batter Samarth Singh, who scored 136 runs from two innings.
Meerut batter Swastik Chikara's 108 runs propelled him to the third spot. His teammate Madhav Kaushil’s 99 runs made him settle for the fifth position. Gorakhpur Lions' Abhishek Goswami accumulated 97 runs to rank fourth.
UP T20 League 2023 Most Wickets List
Noida Super Kings all-rounder Nitish Rana scalped two wickets against the Lions to bag the pole position on the bowling charts with three scalps from two innings. Dhruv Pratap Singh, the Lions bowler, rose to the second position with three wickets.
Kings bowler Naman Tiwari is ranked third with three wickets at an average of 23. Vaibhav Chaudhary and Aquib Khan settled for fourth and fifth spots, respectively, with three wickets each.