Nagesh Trophy: Kerala, Odisha, M.P, Telangana win as matches in Kochi, Chandigarh get underway

KOCHI: Kerala, Odisha in Group C while Madhya Pradesh, Telangana in Group D registered wins on Monday here in the ongoing 6th edition of Nagesh Trophy Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2023-24.

The Kochi and Chandigarh leg started simultaneously on Monday with Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar in Group C and Gujarat, Chandigarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana in Group D competing respectively.

In Group C's opening match held in Kochi, Kerala emerged victorious, defeating Bihar by 35 runs. Kerala set a target of 126/6 in 13 overs, and Bihar could only manage 91/4 in response. The standout performer, Md Farhan, who scored 51 runs in 34 balls, earned the well-deserved title of Player of the Match.

Meanwhile, in another Group C encounter, Odisha displayed dominance by thrashing Jharkhand with a convincing nine-wicket victory. Jharkhand, opting to bat first, faltered at 39 all out in the 17th over, allowing Odisha to chase down the target in just 21 balls. Debaraj Behera, who claimed three wickets, was named the Player of the Match.

Shifting the focus to Group D, the first match witnessed a high-scoring thriller as Madhya Pradesh secured a six-wicket win against Chandigarh. Chandigarh, batting first, posted a formidable total of 208/8 in 20 overs. However, Madhya Pradesh successfully chased down the target in the 18th over, propelled by Rampal Uike's match-winning century. Rampal earned the Player of the Match honour for his stellar performance.

In the second Group D match, Telangana emerged victorious over West Bengal by 27 runs in a run-filled contest in Chandigarh. Telangana posted a commanding total of 262/5 in 20 overs, and despite Surojit Ghora's impressive 129 runs in 72 balls for West Bengal, Telangana's K Shiva Shankar was awarded the Player of the Match for his well-made 86.

Jammu & Kashmir (Group E) and Karnataka (Group B) currently top their respective Groups. In Group C, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha, Kerala will lock horns with each other on Tuesday while in Group D Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chandigarh, West Bengal will meet on the same day.

The ongoing 6th edition of the Nagesh Trophy began on November 23 with the four teams of Group E battling out at the University of Jammu. The tournament will run till February 2, 2024, and the League stage will be played till December 29.

Nagesh Trophy was launched in the memory of Late S.P. Nagesh, Founder President, Cricket Association for the Blind in India and Founder Trustee, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled. The launch of the tournament brought together the entire blind cricket community into one huge platform, by creating a milestone in blind cricket history.