Sher-E-Punjab T20 League: Fazilka Falcons defeat Bathinda Royals by 49 runs but miss out on semi-final berth

However, the victory was not enough to take them into the semi-finals, as they needed to restrict Bathinda to 162 runs or less to qualify.

Batting first, Fazilka posted a mammoth 244/6 in 20 overs, thanks to a strong performance from their top and middle order, according to a press release from the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League.

The Falcons suffered an early setback when star batter Shubman Gill was dismissed for just 9 off 7 balls. However, Vihaan Malhotra and Pranshu Pratap quickly took control and put the innings back on track.

The duo added 94 runs for the second wicket, attacking the Bathinda bowlers and keeping the scoring rate high. Pranshu was the more aggressive of the two and smashed 64 off just 22 balls, while Vihaan scored a well-made 53 off 29 deliveries.

With Fazilka in a strong position, Sanvir Singh took charge in the later stages of the innings. He played a superb unbeaten knock of 74 off 39 balls to give the Falcons a strong finish. Sanvir kept finding the boundaries and ensured that Fazilka continued to score freely in the final overs.

Jaiveer Bhinder added a quick 21 off 13 balls, while Eish Rao chipped in with 16 off 8 as Fazilka crossed the 240-run mark. Their efforts left Bathinda with a daunting target of 245.

In reply, Bathinda Royals lost Tavleen Singh early, but Harnoor Singh and Uday Saharan steadied the innings with an 87-run partnership for the second wicket.

The partnership gave Bathinda hope of chasing down the huge target, but Harnoor was dismissed for 19 off 17 balls, and the Royals then began losing wickets at regular intervals.

Bathinda slipped to 115/5 in the 13th over, putting them under serious pressure. Uday, who had played a key role in the middle overs, was eventually dismissed for a fighting 64 off 38 balls.

Shahbaz then kept Bathinda's hopes alive with a brilliant 66 off 33 balls. He joined hands with Noorveer to add 59 runs for the sixth wicket, but the partnership was broken when Noorveer was dismissed for 24 off 14 balls. Gurnoor was then dismissed for a duck.

Bathinda Royals eventually finished on 194/8 in 20 overs, handing Fazilka a convincing 49-run victory.

However, Fazilka needed to restrict Bathinda to 162 or below to move ahead in the qualification race. Since Bathinda finished in 194, the Falcons could not make it to the next stage despite the win at the I.S. Bindra Stadium, which has hosted international matches in the past.

As a result, Fazilka Falcons were eliminated from the competition, while Jalandhar Warriors and Amritsar Soormas advanced to the semi-finals.

Fazilka's campaign therefore ended on a winning note, with their batters putting up an impressive total and their bowlers securing a 49-run victory, but the margin was not enough to keep their semi-final hopes alive. (ANI)