KY & CO 126/8 in 20 overs (Manikanta 41, Jagdeesh 28, Shameem 3/24) lost to VRC XI 129/4 in 14.3 overs (B Harsha Vardhan 39, R.K 29, Sandeep 1/14) by 6 wickets
The curtains were downed on the 2019 season of SICASA champions league after a dull final. The week long tournament had 16 teams split across four groups playing in a league cum knockout format in the city of Pearls, Hyderabad. The three CNR grounds were busy for whole week and needless to say, they witnessed some spectacular cricketing action over the past week.
The toppers of group B, VRC XI were facing the KY & CO who were ranked second In the group A. While VRC XI easily overpowered the Pankaj Trivedi XI in the semi finals, the KY & CO had some hiccups against TAG & CO before they graduated to the finals.
The KY& CO won the toss and they decided to put up a score for the opposition to chase. After losing two early wickets, Manikanta and Jagdeesha rebuilt the inning via a 49 runs partnership but unfortunately they lost the steam on the way. Their 49 runs came off 63 balls which dented the flow of the inning. As the pair departed, none of the lower order batsmen could deal with the pressure of scoring quick runs. While Narayana played some awe inspiring shots on one end, he had no one on the other end to ensure an above average target.
In a tournament where the highest team total stands at 268 and most of the teams failing to defend the target in 130s, a target of 127 was never going to be enough for the KY& CO to put up some fight and provide a mouth watering contest for the fans. The lowest target that was defended In the tournament was 140 and their first inning efforts were 14 short of that. They needed a miracle to make a game out of it.
After getting a shaky start in their pursuit, the VRC XI recovered well thanks to the two Harsh Vardhans. While Harsha Vardhan D added 36 for the third wicket with RK, he added another 32 with his namesake, B Harsha Vardhan. Both the partnerships came at a brisk pace and they ensured that the game was all but over as the VRC XI already had 75 in the eight over. Along with Saveen, the other Harsha Vardhan knocked down the remaining runs with 33 deliveries still left in their bag.
