QCI 126/6 in 18.4 overs (Sangeet Soni 42, Kalim Khan 25, Jonty Pandey 2/19) beat CGIOC 122 in 19.4 overs (Rahul Pandey 35, Gagandeep 3/35, Saurabh Yadu 2/22) by 4 wickets.
As the second innings started, QCI needed 123 runs to chase down and fix their spot in the final. Manoj Singh and Manish came out to open the innings for the chasing side, but soon Manish got out early in the innings without troubling the scorers. In fact, Manoj Singh was also struggling against the disciplined bowling of Jonty Pandey and Shashank Tiwari, he took 22 deliveries for his 13 runs. Then, Sangeet Soni took the responsibility on his shoulders to contribute valuable 42 runs, Kalim Khan and Dhawal also played good innings of 25 and 13* to take QCI to victory. From the bowling side, Jonty Pandey picked up best figures with 2/19 in 3.4 overs, Sanjeev Mishra, Rahul Pandey and Dilip Thakur also grabbed a wicket each to their names. Considering a small target of 123 runs, CGIOC needed an extraordinary bowling performance from one or couple of their bowlers in order to restrict QCI. In the end, QCI comfortably chased down the target in 18.4 overs.
In knockout games, it is generally recommended to opt to bat first after winning the toss. CGIOC did exactly that after winning the toss, but they failed to capitalize on it. Within first seven overs, CGIOC lost their top four batsmen, courtesy Gagandeep and Kalim Khan. Then Rahul Pandey and Abhi Dubey tried to rebuild the innings after adding 56 runs for the fifth wicket, but soon, QCI bowlers made an excellent comeback to bowl the batting side out for a mere total of 122 runs. Gagandeep bowled excellently to provide early breakthorughs for his team, he took three wickets to his name. Saurabh Yadu got rid of the lower order and picked up a couple of wickets for 22 runs while Bunty, Kalim and Dhawal also grabbed a wicket each.
Throughout the tournament, QCI have held their nerves well in pressure situations, they used the opportunities well and made comebacks in typical situations. They will face Riyaz Cricket Academy in the final, the only unbeaten side in the season so far. But cricket has always been an unpredictable sport, so let's see, which team lifts CGIOC Liga 2021.