Bathinda Royals edge past Jalandhar Warriors in T20 thriller held at Mohali

Gourav Choudhary shot a timely century to help Bathinda Royals defeat Jalandhar Warriors by nine runs in an exciting encounter during the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League being held at IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Batting first, Bathinda Royals recovered from an early setback to post a formidable 228/6 in 20 overs. After being reduced to 4/2 in the first two overs, Uday Saharan and Choudhary launched the counterattack. Saharan played a composed 83 off 49 balls, hitting four fours and seven sixes, while Choudhary stole the show with 102 off 52 balls, studded with seven fours and eight sixes. The pair put Jalandhar’s bowlers under pressure and laid the foundation for the massive total. Shahbaz Singh Sandhu later shot 20 off seven balls, including three sixes.

In reply, Jalandhar Warriors mounted a spirited chase and came agonisingly close. Harjas Singh Tandon hammered 94 off 45 balls, including 12 boundaries and three sixes, while Vishwanath Singh contributed 41. Despite losing wickets at crucial stages, Jalandhar remained firmly in the contest and produced a thrilling late charge. At one stage in the final over, the side needed 17 off four balls to keep the contest alive. However, Randeep Singh (11) was dismissed and with one ball remaining, Jalandhar finished at 219/9 in 20 overs. Sumit Sharma and Ashwani Kumar picked two wickets each for Royals.

Meanwhile, in another match Indian skipper Shubman Gill played for Fazilka Falcons. Batting first, the Falcons posted 170/9 against Ludhiana Lions. Gill posted 40 off 21 balls, with seven boundaries and one six, to remain the highest scorer for the side.

The organisers have announced revised fixture, primarily to accommodate players’ national duties and commitments. The revised schedule has been structured to respect national commitments players.