ISPL: Clinical Srinagar thrash KVN Bangalore Strikers by 4 wickets in Eliminator

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 13 : Srinagar Ke Veer saved their best for the crucial Eliminator, coming up with a clinical all-round show to beat KVN Bangalore Strikers by four wickets and show them the exit door from the Indian Street Premier League, Season 2 at the Dadoji Kondadev Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing 100, Srinagar made a spectacular recovery after a sluggish start, that saw their star opener Sagar Ali restricting himself uncharacteristically before a whirlwind innings from Lokesh Chauhan eventually turned the tide in their favour, with four balls to spare, a release from ISPL stated.
Opening the innings, Sagar finally made up for the lost opportunities by opening up with a six on the 13th delivery he faced, and eventually set the tempo of the chase with a 21-ball 28, laced with three sixes, before a disciplined Ashiq Ali Shamsu picked two wickets from his first over to put Srinagar in a spot of bother.
However, Shamsu's next over emerged as the turning point of the encounter, with the bowler leaking 22 runs, which helped Srinagar cut the deficit from 33 off 13 deliveries to 17 off 12. Rajesh Sorte (12 off 4 balls) took full advantage of Shamsu's weakness to deposit him out of the park before Lokesh treated Farman Khan with disdain for two successive sixes to seal the deal in Srinagar's favour.
Earlier, KVN Bangalore Strikers rode a collective batting effort from Saroj Paramanik, Sanjay Kanojjiya and skipper Prathamesh Pawar to pile up a commanding 99 for 7 after being invited to bat. The evening witnessed an exquisite display of shot-making, with 78 runs out of the eventual total coming in the form of fours and sixes that enthralled the crowd at the Dadoji Kondadev Stadium.
Despite losing his partner Ajaz Shaikhlal Bepari (8) cheaply, fellow opener Saroj Paramanik didn't let the momentum slip as he lit up the stadium with four massive sixes, his 15-ball 30, and more importantly set the tone for Bangalore's total in the company of his captain Prathamesh Pawar, who also chipped in with a crucial 12-ball 16, powered by a couple of sixes.
Srinagar did manage to peg back the Bangalore side with a couple of wickets, but Sanjay Kanojjiya's arrival once again turned the tide, as he unleashed his batting potential with a 15-ball undefeated 29. Sanjay took a special liking for Sahil Longale's Tape Ball over, milking the bowler ruthlessly for 19 runs on the penultimate over of the innings. Bhushan Gole also came up with a handy 11 to propel Bangalore to a sizeable total.
For the Srinagar team, Suvronil Roy, Prajyot Ambhire, Prajyot Ambhire and Raju Mukhiya found their names against the wicket-takers list.
Earlier, Nakash Aziz set the stage on fire with his electrifying performance, keeping the crowd on their feet with his high-energy hits.
In the second qualifier on Friday, Srinagar Ke Veer will lock horns with Falcon Risers Hyderabad with both sides hoping to set their date with Majhi Mumbai in the ISPL, season 2 summit clash on Saturday.