Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 14: Chambal Ghariyals were crowned the champions of the women’s competition of the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 after defeating Gwalior Shernis by 2 runs in a nail-biting contest which went until the last ball and had all the drama including a free hit on the final delivery at Holkar Stadium, Indore.
Batting first, Chambal Ghariyals posted a competitive 146/4 in their 20 overs, thanks largely to another impressive half-century from in-form opener Kanishka Thakur.
Thakur and Jincy George gave the innings a solid start, adding 51 runs for the opening wicket in 7.1 overs before George was dismissed for 15 off 19 balls. Thakur then combined with Rahila Firdous for another useful 33-run partnership that kept the momentum going.
Thakur continued her fine run in the tournament with a fluent 50 off 37 deliveries before departing. Firdous anchored the middle overs with 29 off 29 balls, while Vaishnavi Singh provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 26 off 20 deliveries to push the Ghariyals to a challenging total.
In reply, Gwalior Shernis suffered an early setback when Aashna Patidar was dismissed for 10 off 16 balls. However, captain Nuzhat Parween and Ishana Swami steadied the chase with a crucial 64-run partnership. The breakthrough came when Dhani Buchade struck at the right time, dismissing Ishana for 29 off 22 after she miscued a shot and was caught.
Soumya Tiwari fell soon after for 4 off 5 balls, leaving the Shernis at 108/3 after 16 overs. From there, the Chambal Ghariyals bowlers tightened the screws, making the chase increasingly difficult as the required run rate climbed and wickets continued to fall. The pressure eventually left Gwalior Shernis needing 20 runs in the final over.
Captain Nuzhat Parween kept Gwalior Shernis in the contest with a boundary off the first ball of the final over. However, two dot balls that followed swung the momentum firmly in Chambal Ghariyals’ favour, leaving the Shernis needing 16 runs from the final three deliveries.
There was late drama on the last ball of the match when Parween cleared the ropes for a six, only for it to be called a no-ball, reducing the equation to 7 runs required off the final legitimate delivery. Despite Parween managing a boundary off the last ball, it wasn’t enough as Chambal Ghariyals held their nerves to seal a thrilling victory. The Gwalior Shernis were restricted to 144/5 in 20 overs eventually.
Reflecting on the triumph, Chambal Ghariyals owner Divyaraj Singh Kirar said, “We were confident heading into the final because of the quality and balance in our squad. The girls have played exceptional cricket throughout the tournament and once again delivered a brilliant performance when it mattered the most. I congratulate the entire team on a well-deserved title win.”
Captain Pooja Vastrakar also praised her teammates and expressed her happiness after lifting the trophy. “I’m absolutely delighted that we won the trophy. It has been a wonderful tournament for us as a team. We played consistent cricket throughout the competition, backed our plans, and I’m glad the hard work paid off in the final,” she concluded.
