Chambal Ghariyals Clinch MPL T20 Scindia Cup 2026 Title in Thrilling Finale
Chambal Ghariyals Crowned Champions
In an exhilarating finish, Chambal Ghariyals emerged victorious in the women's division of the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026, narrowly defeating Gwalior Shernis by just two runs. The match, held at Holkar Stadium in Indore, was filled with excitement, culminating in a dramatic final ball that included a free hit.
Strong Performance by Chambal Ghariyals
Batting first, the Chambal Ghariyals set a challenging target of 146 runs for 4 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. This impressive score was bolstered by a stellar half-century from opener Kanishka Thakur. Thakur, alongside Jincy George, laid a solid foundation with a partnership of 51 runs for the first wicket in just over seven overs before George was dismissed for 15 runs off 19 balls. Thakur continued her excellent form, scoring 50 runs off 37 balls, while Rahila Firdous contributed with a steady 29 runs off 29 balls. Vaishnavi Singh added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 26 runs off 20 balls.
Gwalior Shernis' Nail-Biting Chase
The Gwalior Shernis faced an early challenge when Aashna Patidar was out for 10 runs off 16 balls. However, Captain Nuzhat Parween and Ishana Swami steadied the innings with a vital 64-run partnership. The turning point came when Dhani Buchade dismissed Ishana for 29 runs off 22 balls. Following this, Soumya Tiwari fell for 4 runs off 5 balls, leaving the Shernis at 108 for 3 after 16 overs. As the required run rate increased, the pressure mounted on the Shernis, who needed 20 runs in the final over.
Dramatic Final Over
Captain Nuzhat Parween kept hope alive with a boundary on the first ball of the last over. However, two consecutive dot balls shifted the momentum back to the Chambal Ghariyals, leaving the Shernis needing 16 runs from the last three deliveries. In a dramatic twist, Parween hit a six on the final ball, which was ruled a no-ball, reducing the requirement to 7 runs off the last legitimate delivery. Despite Parween's boundary on the last ball, the Shernis finished at 144 for 5, falling just short of victory.
Celebrating the Victory
Chambal Ghariyals' owner, Divyaraj Singh Kirar, expressed pride in the team's performance, stating, "We were confident heading into the final due to the quality and balance in our squad. The girls have played exceptional cricket throughout the tournament and delivered brilliantly when it mattered most. Congratulations to the entire team on a well-deserved title win."
Captain Pooja Vastrakar also shared her joy, saying, "I'm absolutely delighted that we won the trophy. It has been a wonderful tournament for us as a team. We played consistently, backed our plans, and I'm glad our hard work paid off in the final."