PANAJI
The fifth edition of the Panjim Gymkhana Members League (PGML 5.0), the much-anticipated T-20 cricket tournament, got underway on Saturday at the Panjim Gymkhana ground, Campal, Panaji, with Manas Mavericks and Priority Titans registering convincing opening victories.
Earlier in the day, PGML 5.0 was officially inaugurated with much enthusiasm at the Panjim Gymkhana ground. The inaugural ceremony began with the toss of the coin involving team captains, umpires and the match referee, followed by a formal gathering attended by the President, team owners, captains, Managing Committee and Governing Council members, along with the Chief Guest.
Panjim Gymkhana President Manoj Caculo delivered the welcome address, after which the Chief Guest, Goa Cricket Association (GCA) President Mahesh Dessai, formally declared PGML 5.0 open by releasing balloons along with the team owners. This was followed by an address by the Chief Guest and the presentation of a momento. Players then lined up for the National Anthem. GCA Secretary, Tulsidas Shetye was present as the Guest of Honour.
Owners and captains of the participating teams, along with members of the Managing Committee and Governing Council, were present in large numbers. In his brief address, Chief Guest Mahesh Dessai expressed special gratitude to Anil Pai Angle and Sandeep Naik for their guidance and valuable contribution to cricket.
On the occasion, Rajesh Khaunte presented a memento to Mahesh Dessai, Suresh Mahadevan felicitated Tulsidas Shetye, while Sarfaraz Sheikh honoured Prasad Shirsat (Golden Goa). Manish Karapurkar felicitated Amit and Mary, sponsors from Majestic.
The sporting action commenced with the opening match between Manas Mavericks and Dempo Challengers, marking an exciting start to PGML Season 5.
Manas Mavericks began their campaign in dominant fashion, defeating Dempo Challengers by a massive 88-run margin, while Priority Titans outclassed Sun Estate Warriors by 64 runs to also make a winning start.
With the commencement of the fifth season, cricket fans can look forward to several weeks of exciting T20 action, generating considerable buzz among sports enthusiasts.
BRIEF SCORES
Manas Mavericks 220/6 in 20 overs (Vijay Nagarajan 52, Avishkar Mone 40, Om Phadte 36, Mihir Gawde 30; Aditya Angle 1/32, Amlon D’Souza 1/24, Prashant Pangam 1/41) beat Dempo Challengers 132/9 in 20 overs (Vedant Naik 50, Muzaffar Kadri 17; Rabindra Jhunjhunwala 2/17, Om Phadte 2/30, Kartik Panchal 2/31, Avishkar Mone 1/18, Amey Dongrekar 1/14)
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Priority Titans 198/5 in 20 overs (Adeep Prabhu Miskin 54, Jaipal Mada 36, Heramb Shankar Parab 35; Mehank Dharwadkar 1/36, Vardaan Behl 1/15) beat Sun Estate Warriors 134 all out in 16.4 overs (Abhijit Bhandare 47, Devidas Kholkar 36; Vivek Karapurkar 2/23, Heramb Shankar Parab 1/15, Atharva 1/28, Dinesh Pai 1/28, Rijul Pathak 1/6)
