Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 15: In yet another high-scoring thriller in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026, Jabalpur Royal Lions chased down a daunting target of 224 to register a five-wicket victory against Bhopal Leopards at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Batting first, Bhopal Leopards posted an imposing 223/6 in their 20 overs. Openers Tanishq Yadav and Rahul Chandrol laid a solid foundation with a 45-run partnership for the first wicket. Chandrol scored 28 off 18 deliveries before being dismissed, while Tanishq followed soon after for 26 off 17 balls.
Ansh Bagadia and skipper Aniket Verma then took charge of the innings, stitching together a crucial 83-run stand for the third wicket. Verma played a blistering knock of 42 off just 20 deliveries, while Bagadia anchored the innings with a well-compiled 51 off 34 balls.
Pranjul Puri and Kamal Tripathi provided the finishing flourish in the death overs. Puri struck 27 off 13 balls, while Tripathi remained unbeaten on 20 off just 6 deliveries as the Leopards comfortably crossed the 200-run mark.
For the Royal Lions, Pankaj Patel was the standout bowler, returning figures of 2/30 from his four overs.
In reply, Jabalpur Royal Lions got off to a flying start as Arpit Gaud and Ajay Rohera added 88 runs for the opening wicket in less than six overs. The Lions made full use of the powerplay, racing to 100 runs in the first six overs while losing only one wicket.
Bhopal Leopards managed to claw their way back into the contest with a couple of timely wickets, including the dismissal of Rohera, who scored a brisk 31 off 17 balls.
However, Vedant Awasthi and Ritik Tada ensured the chase stayed on track. Awasthi, a product of the Player Development Programme (PDP), created history by becoming the first PDP player to score a half-century in the MPL. The aggressive batter played a match-winning knock of 60 off 34 deliveries, smashing five sixes and three boundaries.
The Royal Lions maintained control in the latter stages and eventually crossed the finish line with an over to spare.
Talking about his knock and the team’s win, Vedant said, “I had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time and I’m extremely grateful that I finally got the chance and was able to make the most of it. Of course, there is a bit of disappointment because I wanted to stay till the end and finish the chase unbeaten, but I’m happy that I could contribute to the team’s victory.”
