Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 13: Jabalpur Royal Lions etched a comprehensive win by 54 runs against Malwa Stallions in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 fixture at the Holkar Stadium, Indore on Saturday. This is the third win on the trot for the Lions.
Batting first, the Lions rode on a sensational batting performance from wicketkeeper-batter Ajay Rohera, who smashed an unbeaten 130 off just 65 deliveries to power his side to a formidable total of 205/5 in 20 overs.
The Lions got off to a promising start as openers Arpit Gaud and Rohera added 48 runs for the first wicket inside the first five overs. However, Gaud’s dismissal for 22 off 13 balls triggered a mini-collapse, with wickets falling at regular intervals as the side slipped to 74/4.
Rohera then found support from Vedant Awasthi, and the pair attempted to rebuild the innings with a 30-run stand for the fifth wicket. Awasthi contributed a brisk 20 off 11 balls before being dismissed.
Despite losing partners at the other end, Rohera continued his stunning assault on the bowlers, bringing up a magnificent century and dominating the attack throughout his innings bringing up this season’s highest individual score. His unbeaten knock featured nine sixes and nine fours. Sanjog Nijjar provided valuable support towards the end, remaining unbeaten on 24 off 15 deliveries as the Lions crossed the 200-run mark.
For Malwa Stallions, Prashant Kasde was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/26 from his four overs.
In reply, Malwa Stallions struggled to get going and lost two early wickets, finding themselves in trouble at 17/2 inside the first three overs. Saksham Purohit and Ashutosh Sharma then steadied the innings with a crucial 75-run partnership for the third wicket.
However, the dismissal of skipper Ashutosh Sharma for 30 off 23 balls shifted the momentum back in favour of the Royal Lions. The Stallions soon lost three more wickets in quick succession and were reduced to 113/6 after 15 overs.
Akhil Nigote Yadav and Sachin Vishwakarma then launched a counterattack, producing an entertaining partnership of 24 runs for the seventh wicket but Punit Datey soon removed Akhil for 17 off 14 and the Stallions were eventually bowled out for 151 in 18.4 overs.
Punit Datey returned with figures of 3/19 in 3.4 overs while Nayan Mewada also picked up three for 28 runs in his four.
Reflecting on the win and his knock, Rohera said, “My role in the team is very clear, to take responsibility and bat through the innings. Strike rate is important, but the ultimate goal is to help the team finish on the winning side. We had a simple plan before the match, play according to the ball, assess the situation, and react positively to whatever the game demands.”
