Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 7: It was a run fest at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday as Rewa Jaguars and Bhopal Leopards produced another thrilling contest in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026. In a match that went right down to the wire, Bhopal Leopards held their nerves to clinch a dramatic three-wicket victory.
Rewa Jaguars produced a commanding batting performance, riding on a sensational knock from Akshat Raghuwanshi and crucial contributions from Prithviraj Singh Tomar and Sagar Solanki to post a formidable 203/8 in their 20 overs.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Jaguars got off to a flying start with Raghuwanshi taking charge from the outset. The aggressive batter tore into the Bhopal Leopards bowling attack, smashing boundaries all around the ground on his way to a blistering 85 off just 32 deliveries. His spectacular innings was laced with nine sixes and six fours.
The Jaguars, however, lost a few wickets in quick succession during the middle overs, including the dismissal of opener Prithviraj Singh Tomar, who played a valuable knock of 35 off 32 balls. But Sagar Solanki ensured the momentum remained with Rewa, playing an enterprising innings of 48 off 28 deliveries to push the total beyond the 200-run mark.
For Bhopal Leopards, Himanshu Shinde was the standout bowler, returning impressive figures of 2/21 from his four overs.
In reply, Bhopal Leopards began the chase positively as openers Tanishq Yadav and Rahul Chandrol added 60 runs for the first wicket. However, the side suffered a setback when Yadav departed for 29 off 17 balls, followed soon after by Suraj Yadav, who managed just 6 off 4 deliveries.
Chandrol then joined forces with captain Aniket Verma, and the pair added 26 runs for the third wicket to keep the chase alive. Verma looked dangerous during his brief stay but was dismissed for a quickfire 25 off 10 balls, caught off the bowling of Sagar Solanki.
The Leopards’ troubles deepened when Chandrol, after scoring a fluent 44 off 21 deliveries, was dismissed soon after. Kunal Rai’s departure for just 1 left Bhopal struggling at 109/5 and firmly on the back foot.
Just when it seemed the game was slipping away from the Leopards, Himanshu Shinde and Pawan Nirwani came together and launched a spirited fightback.
The pair looked well in control of the chase and kept the required rate within reach before Ashwin Das delivered a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Himanshu Shinde for a valuable 37 off 24 balls. Soon after, Pawan Nirwani also departed for 29 off 22 deliveries, leaving the Leopards needing 22 runs from the final 12 balls.
Kamal Tripathi then stepped up under pressure and turned the game around in the penultimate over, finding the boundaries at crucial moments and reducing the equation to just 5 runs needed from the final over.
The last over began with a dot ball, raising the tension further, but Kamal wasted no time after that. He launched the second delivery over the ropes for a massive six, sealing a thrilling victory for Bhopal Leopards in dramatic fashion.
