Meerut Mavericks claim Uttar Pradesh T20 title with thrilling five-wicket win over Kanpur Superstars
The Uttar Pradesh T20 2024 ended with a bang as Meerut Mavericks won the title in a thriller by five wickets as they downed Kanpur Superstars in the final at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where both the teams saw the match go up in high intensity, ending with Meerut Mavericks emerging champions, chasing down 191 with two balls to spare.
Kanpur Superstars bailable after a blinder of an opening end
Shaurya Singh and Sameer Rizvi Anchor the Innings
Kanpur Superstars batted first after winning the toss, and their openers looked good solid initially. Wicketkeeper-batter Shoaib Siddiqui and Shaurya Singh put a lot of platform for the team, and Singh was more aggressive. He hammered 56 runs off just 23 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 243.48. His innings saw the early crux of the game for Kanpur.
After the dismissal of Shaurya Singh, caught by Rituraj Sharma off Zeeshan Ansari’s bowling, the skipper of Kanpur, Sameer Rizvi, didn’t let the momentum drop at all. He had a match-winning innings of 57 off 36 deliveries, with three boundaries and three sixes. It was Ankur Malik whom he formed a decent partnership and prevented the innings from nose-diving after a couple of quick wickets.
Yash Garg’s Key Strikes
Meerut Mavericks’ bowling helped deny Kanpur Superstars an even stiffer target, ably led by the crucial wickets taken by Yash Garg. The crucial wickets fell in the persons of Shoaib Siddiqui, Sameer Rizvi, and Abhishek Panday. Garg would later put forth a tally of 4-0-47-3 which spurred the process into almost nullifying Kanpur’s forward thrust.
Though Kanpur Superstars were always in a tricky situation after scoring 190/5 in their allotted 20 overs, they would have requested a bit more, considering their excellent display at the beginning. Zeeshan Ansari (1/20 in 4 overs) and Meerut’s bowlers ensured the run rate wasn’t something they couldn’t handle in the middle overs.
Meerut Mavericks’ Chase: A Thrill Ride
Swastik Chikara’s Explosive Start
There was nothing to write home about for Meerut Mavericks as the chase struggled to take off at all after opener Akshay Dubey was bowled out by Mohsin Khan from the first over itself. Swastik Chikara took charge of the innings here and played a blistering knock. Chikara smashed 62 off just 31 deliveries, three boundaries, and five towering sixes throughout that stay, maintaining a strike rate of 200. His aggressive approach put pressure on the bowlers of Kanpur early in the innings.
Chikara’s association with Madhav Kaushik steadied the Mavericks chase. Though Meerut were losing wickets at regular intervals, Chikara’s innings helped them gain the upper hand. His dismissal in the 11th over left Meerut at 106 for three, but it had given Meerut an excellent platform from where they can launch a successful chase.
Madhav Kaushik’s Captain’s Knock
Captain of Meerut Mavericks, Madhav Kaushik was into a crucial anchoring stint throughout the game. He did enough to build the Mavericks’ chase and remained not out on 69 off 43 balls. Kaushik’s innings was well-balanced – this capped with two fours and five sixes. Kaushik paced his innings perfectly, ensuring Meerut remained in reach of their target.
When Divyansh Rajput fell to Mohsin Khan for 24 off 20, the game appeared to go either way, but Kaushik was composed enough to get his side to the end.
Late Blitz by Ritik Vats Helps Win
However, it was towards the end when Ritik Vats walked out to his skipper. It was a 20 of just 10 balls with one four and a six that made Meerut Mavericks sit up, but in all probability sealed their fate. His aggressive approach in the death overs meant Meerut Mavericks remained on top in the chase and the pressure mounted on them.
Vats and Kaushik saw off the nerves of the last over as they had 8 runs to win it. Kaushik’s experience along with Vats’ timely hitting brought the target within reach as Meerut Mavericks completed their chase in 19.4 overs, finishing on 196/5 and winning by 5 wickets.
Key Moments and Performances
Bowling Struggles for Kanpur Superstars
Although Meerut’s batting lineup was aggressive in this game, Kanpur Superstars’ bowlers had a tough time containing them with the total put up on board by their team. Mohsin Khan was the only pickle in the attack of Kanpur Superstars as he picked two wickets for 35 runs. The remaining attack, however, did not know when to apply pressure on the batting team and relax. Rishabh Rajput picked one wicket for 40 runs, and Mukesh Kumar was successful in picking one wicket for 21 runs.
The bowing unit of Kanpur also leaked eight wides, which added more pressure at crucial phases. Their inability to defend a total of 190 required more tight bowling in the match-winning games.
All-round contribution by Yash Garg
Undoubtedly, Yash Garg was one of the superstars of the game. The bowling figures of 4-0-47-3 came in very handy for the Meerut Mavericks at the most crucial times of the innings for Kanpur. In addition, his fielding and wise bowling in the middle overs ensured that Meerut stay in the game.
Though he could not play a main bat balling inning, Garg’s contribution with the ball makes him an important factor behind Meerut Mavericks’ win.
Conclusion: Meerut Mavericks are the Champions
The Meerut Mavericks’ 5-wicket nail-biting victory over Kanpur Superstars in the Uttar Pradesh T20 2024 final will be all the more memorable as a test of grit and endurance rather than a real cricketing contest. Stronger on chasing and, with heroics from Madhav Kaushik and Swastik Chikara through individual play, Meerut played their way to glory.
It was a gallant effort by the players of Kanpur Superstars but it was their calm approach in chase after the bowlers of Kanpur Superstars who failed to keep discipline that proved to be the difference for Meerut.
Meerut Mavericks winning the title, it came after a memorable campaign that showed them to have depth, resilience, and a hunger for victory. This tournament has once again proved itself as one of the breeding grounds for future cricket stars, and this final was testimony to the very high level of talent present in Indian domestic cricket.
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