Mumbai: Fueled by Akash Parkar’s all-around play and Ishan Mulchandani’s impressive half-century, Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons secured a spot in the T20 Mumbai League 2025 final with a five-wicket victory over the Bandra Blasters. They will face Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals on Thursday in the final.
Batting first in the second semifinal, the Bandra Blasters could manage only a paltry 130 runs, with Dhrumil Matkar (34) and Akash Anand (31) leading their scoring. At the same time, Akash Parkar shone for the SoBo Mumbai Falcons with three wickets.
The Falcons then comfortably chased the target with more than five overs to spare, thanks to an unbeaten 52 from opener Ishan Mulchandani and quick contributions from Akash Parkar (32) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27), securing their place in the final.
Earlier, in the first semifinal, a commanding unbeaten half-century by skipper Siddesh Lad and a fiery five-wicket haul by pacer Rohan Raje propelled Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals into the final with a comprehensive 8-wicket win over Eagle Thane Strikers at the Wankhede Stadium.
On a pitch that offered generous movement and bounce, Raje exploited the conditions brilliantly, returning figures of 5/40 — the first five-wicket haul of the season and just the fourth in the tournament’s history. His effort dismantled the Strikers’ batting unit, restricting them to a modest 131/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Batting first after winning the toss, the Strikers struggled to find momentum. Raje, supported by left-arm spinner Aditya Dhumal, ripped through the top and middle order, reducing them to 57/4 inside 10 overs.
Sairaj Patil (41) and captain Atharva Ankolekar (34 not out) stitched a 43-run stand to stabilise the innings briefly, but another burst from Raje tilted the scales decisively. The pacer returned to dismiss Patil, Vinay Kunwar, and Shashank Attarde in quick succession, sealing a memorable five-for.
Chasing 132, the Royals made a watchful start. An early breakthrough came when Sahil Jadhav misjudged a Sairaj Patil inswinger and was bowled. But Lad anchored the innings with trademark composure. He shared a 48-run partnership with Chinmay Sutar (19), who fell attempting a big hit off Attarde.
Lad, however, remained unfazed. With Sachin Yadav (19 not out) for company, the duo added an unbroken 55-run stand that sealed the chase with 13 balls to spare. The skipper remained unbeaten on 74 off 52 balls, striking nine boundaries and a six, and fittingly struck the winning runs with a crisp drive through the off-side.
With this win, the Maratha Royals stormed into the final, riding on the back of a complete performance led by their captain and star pacer.
The final will be played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on June 12.
Brief scores:
Semifinal 1:
Eagle Thane Strikers 131/8 (Sairaj Patil 41, Atharva Ankolekar 34; Rohan Raje 5/40) lost to MSC Maratha Royals 134/2 (Siddesh Lad 74 not out) by eight wickets.
Semifinal 2:
Bandra Blasters 130/10 (Dhrumil Matkar 34, Akash Anand 31; Akash Parkar 3/16) lost to SOBO Mumbai Falcons 131/5 (Ishan Mulchandani 52, Akash Parkar 32; Sagarr Chhabriaa 2/33) by five wickets.
(IANS)
