Kataka: Sambalpur Warriors registered a convincing eight-wicket victory over Puri Titans in the Odisha T20 League – CM Trophy at the Barabati Stadium, with Shantanu Mishra and Soumya R Lenka guiding the side to a successful chase of 164.
Batting first, Puri Titans posted 163/7 in their allotted 20 overs after recovering from an early setback through a crucial partnership between Adithya Rout and Swayam Srivastava.
The pair added 73 runs for the second wicket to steady the innings and lay the foundation for a competitive total. Srivastava scored 27 off 23 deliveries, while Rout continued to find the boundaries and top-scored with a fluent 75 off 50 balls. Sarbeswar Mohanty provided a late boost with 20 off 13 deliveries to help Puri finish strongly.
In reply, Sambalpur Warriors also lost an early wicket but recovered through Shantanu Mishra and OM T Munde, who stitched together a 64-run partnership for the second wicket. Munde contributed 28 off 21 deliveries before being dismissed, but Shantanu continued to anchor the chase.
Soumya R Lenka joined Shantanu and ensured the Warriors maintained control of the innings. With 16 runs required from the final two overs, the pair kept their composure and took Sambalpur across the finish line without further loss.
Shantanu remained unbeaten on 78 off 59 deliveries, while Soumya provided an aggressive finish with an unbeaten 38 off 20 balls. Sambalpur completed the chase with more than an over to spare, securing two valuable points at the Barabati Stadium that has hosted international matches in the past.
Reflecting on the victory and his performance, player of the match Shantanu Mishra said, “It feels great to contribute to such an important win for the team. We knew Puri had put up a competitive total, so it was important for us to build partnerships and keep the chase under control. Soumya played a very important role towards the end, and I’m happy we could finish the game strongly. These are crucial points for us, and hopefully we can carry this momentum into our upcoming matches.”
(IANS)
