This win marked Triumph Knights’ initial success in four matches this season, while the Royals faced their second defeat. Dsouza’s outstanding performance was notable as it constituted only the fifth five-wicket haul in the tournament’s history, joining the ranks of Shivam Dube, Badre Alam, Dhurmil Matkar, and Rohan Raje.
In a heartfelt gesture post-match, Suryakumar awarded his Player of the Match honor to Sylvester Dsouza, recognizing the pacer’s pivotal five-wicket haul and acknowledging his role in securing Triumph Knights MNE’s victory.
During the chase of 153, Triumph Knights faced an early challenge as openers Akhil Herwadkar (5) and Vedant Murkar (11) fell early, with just 36 runs on the board. Nevertheless, Nutan Goel and Suryakumar stabilized the innings, forming a crucial 103-run partnership for the third wicket.
Goel contributed a stylish 56, featuring four boundaries and three sixes, while Suryakumar anchored the innings with an inspiring 72 not out off just 36 balls. The captain’s innings included 13 fours and a six as he steered his team to victory with four overs remaining. Although Goel was dismissed in the 15th over requiring only 14 more runs, the pair had ensured the match outcome was secure.
Earlier, Dsouza’s exceptional bowling performance helped dismiss the Royals for 152 in 19.5 overs. The Royals found themselves struggling at 73/5 before a 64-run partnership between Chinmay Sutar (32) and Maxwell Swaminathan (36) revived their innings at the sixth wicket.
At 137/5 after 17 overs, the Royals seemed poised for a solid finish. However, following Sutar’s retirement, their innings collapsed as they lost their last five wickets for merely 15 runs. Dsouza concluded with an impressive five-wicket haul, and Sagar Mishra supported the effort with figures of 2/30, contributing to a disciplined bowling display.
Later in the day, ARCS Andheri are set to compete against Bandra Blasters in the second match.
All matches will be streamed live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.
Brief Scores: MSC Maratha Royals 152 All Out in 19.5 overs (Maxwell Swaminathan 36, Chinmay Sutar 32; Sylvester Dsouza 5/21) lost to Triumph Knights MNE 153/4 in 16 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 72 Not Out, Nutan Goel 56; Irfan Umair 2/23) by 6 wickets.
