Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 10: In a batters day out, Bundelkhand Bulls chased down a massive target of 216 by three wickets against Malwa Stallions in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 at Holkar Stadium, Indore.
Batting first, the Malwa Stallions batters produced a dominant display, posting an mammoth total of 215/5 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Saksham Purohit and Ansh Yadav laid a solid foundation with a 79-run opening partnership.
Purohit was eventually dismissed for a brisk 40 off 26 balls, but Ansh continued to dictate terms and took the attack to the opposition bowlers. He found good support from Akhil Nigote Yadav, with the pair adding 63 runs for the second wicket. Akhil played a valuable knock of 33 off 25 deliveries before departing.
Despite losing a couple of wickets in quick succession, including Ansh’s dismissal for a superb 81 off 44 balls, an innings studded with six sixes and five fours, the Stallions maintained the momentum. Ashutosh Sharma provided a late burst with a quickfire 25 off just 8 balls, while Parth Sahani remained unbeaten at 20 off 10 deliveries, ensuring the side crossed the 200-run mark.
For the opposition, Bhumesh Muzalda was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 1/21 from his four overs.
In reply, the fireworks continued as Shivang Kumar of Bundelkhand Bulls etched his name into the record books by smashing the fastest fifty in MPL history, reaching the milestone in just 13 deliveries overtaking the record of his own teammate Moon Pathak.
The Bulls lost Abhishek Pathak early for 22 off 11 balls, but Shivang, alongside Harsh Gawali, launched a stunning counterattack. The duo made full use of the powerplay, racing to 88/1 in the first six overs, with the final over of the powerplay alone yielding 30 runs.
However, Parth Goswami and Vikrant Bhadoriya kept the chase on track with a useful 38-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Although the Bulls suffered a few hiccups in the latter stages and lost wickets in quick succession, Gautam Joshi and Aman Jain held their nerve and ensured there were no further setbacks. The pair first reduced the equation to 28 runs from 18 balls and then to 10 needed off 10 deliveries.
With victory within touching distance, there was a brief moment of drama as the Bulls lost another wicket after Joshi was run out due to a mix-up while needing just one run. But it proved too little, too late for the Stallions, as Bundelkhand Bulls completed the chase on the very next ball to seal a memorable victory.
