Sukrut Pai Man of the Match, Vipul Deshprabhu Best Batter and Durgesh Prabhugaonkar Best Bowler with BCCI Umpire Nitin Pai.
PANAJI
DNS / VMJ’s Rookies and Desserts n More Avengers registered wins on Day 14 Rajdeep Builders Sarsangan Super Series Cricket 2024-25, at Arlem Cricket Ground
DNS / VMJ’s Rookies, led by Vinod Joshi and Dattaprasad Silimkhan, narrowly defeated Mapusa Dream Crushers, captained by Rajesh Colvalcar, by 5 wickets and 2 balls to spare in a thrilling contest.
Mapusa Dream Crushers won the toss and chose to bat first, posting a challenging total of 188/5 in 20 overs. Skipper Vipul Deshprabhu contributed a quickfire 35 off 20 balls, including 5 boundaries, while Sarvesh Kamat (29), Pankaj Naik (28), and Paarth Kossambe (22) also made solid contributions. DNS / VMJ’s Rookies bowler Sahil Neurenkar was the standout performer with figures of 2-27. Sukrut Pai (2-33) and Pratham Kossambe (1-11) also played key roles in restricting the Dream Crushers.
In response, the Rookies came out firing with Shivam Varik scoring 34 off 26 balls, including 5 fours and a six. Contributions from Vibhav Pai (23) and Pratham Kossambe (32) kept the chase on track. Rupesh Kossambe’s unbeaten 34 and Bhushan Kamat Bambolkar’s 24 not out steered the Rookies to victory with an unbroken 48-run partnership in 37 balls, reaching 189/5 in 19.4 overs. Durgesh Prabhugaonkar (2-18), Mahesh Churi (2-19), and Vipul Deshprabhu (1-22) were the key bowlers for Mapusa Dream Crushers.
With this victory, DNS / VMJ’s Rookies’ chances of making it to the semifinals are now dependent on the outcomes of other matches, while Mapusa Dream Crushers are eliminated from the competition. Individual awards were given to: Sukrut Pai (Drogaria Colvalcar Man-of-the-Match), Vipul Deshprabhu (Priority Constructions Best Batter), and Durgesh Prabhugaonkar (Wakao Best Bowler).
In the second match of the day, Desserts n More Avengers, led by Dr. Sagar Salgaocar, advanced to the semifinals with a 3-wicket win over Commonwealth Fountainheads, captained by Chirag Naik and Vishwesh Caro.
Fountainheads chose to bat first and posted a formidable 170/4 in 20 overs. Aditya Prabhugaonkar’s unbeaten 38 off 29 balls, Amod Borkar’s 35 off 25 balls, and Saish Hegde’s 35* off 28 balls were the main contributions. Dr. Sagar Salgaocar was the pick of the bowlers with 2-18, supported by Siddhesh Prabhu Alvencar and Nimay Kamat, who each claimed a wicket.
Chasing 171 for victory, Desserts n More Avengers lost an early wicket but recovered through a 58-run partnership between Sachin Bhandare (35 off 22 balls, 5 fours) and Sarin Pai Kane (24). Akhil Nadkarni’s explosive 26 off 11 balls, including 2 fours and 2 sixes, sealed the match for the Avengers as they reached 171/7 in 18.4 overs. Despite Pratap Prabhugaonkar’s strong bowling performance (2-12), and wickets from Saish Hegde, Prabhakar Shetye, Aditya Prabhugaonkar, and Amod Borkar, the Fountainheads could not defend the target.
Desserts n More Avengers’ victory secured them a place in the semifinals with 5 wins to their name, while Commonwealth Fountainheads now face uncertainty, with their chances depending on the result of the match between Priority Titans and MLT Cricket Club. Individual accolades were awarded to: Dr. Sagar Salgaocar (Drogaria Colvalcar Man-of-the-Match), Aditya Prabhugaonkar (Priority Constructions Best Batter), and Pratap Prabhugaonkar (Wakao Best Bowler).
