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The USN Indians made an impressive start in their tournament opener with a comfortable eight-wicket win on Tuesday evening here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
Pithoragarh Hurricanes, after making 199/6 in a miraculous chase against Haridwar Spring Elmas in their first game, could only set a target of 78. In their chase, the USN Indians lost two back-to-back wickets in the second over off the bowling of Shivam Gupta. However, after those early hiccups, their skipper Kunal Chandela along with No.4 batsman, Aryan Sharma, stabilized the proceedings. While Kunal Chandela retired hurt after making a 20-ball 21*, Aryan Sharma (30* off 18) and Akhil Rawat (1* off 2) quickly chased down the target in just 7.4 overs. Earlier, the USN Indians won the toss and chose to bowl first. The start of play was delayed by 45 minutes due to passing showers but no overs were lost. The decision to bowl first proved fruitful for the USN Indians, as they dismissed Pithoragarh Hurricanes for a below-par score, not allowing their batsmen to settle at the crease for long. The Hurricanes faltered from the outset, losing wickets regularly and slumping to 32/4 by the end of the Powerplay. Their dismal innings featured three run-outs, and only three batsmen - Parmender Chadda (12), Neeraj Rathour (13) and Sunny Kashyap (18) - managed to reach double digits, while the rest of the lineup plummeted. In a collective bowling performance, Devendra Bora and Agrim Tiwari each claimed two wickets for the USN Indians, helping dismiss the opposition for the lowest total of the tournament so far. In the earlier game on Tuesday, it was the Nainital SG Pipers who emerged victorious with a 20-run win over the Haridwar Spring Elmas. (ANI)
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