Published: June 12, 2026 at 8:35 pm
Vijayawada Sunshiners scored a resounding 51-run win over Kakinada Kings in their Andhra Premier League 2026 match at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Friday evening.
Asked to bat first by Kakinada Kings’ skipper G Manish, Vijayawada Sunshiners lost skipper Ashwin Hebbar (11), who had scored a century in the previous match, with 36 on the board.
Opener M Abhinav and M Harsha Vardhan then steadied the innings with a 48-run partnership for the second wicket off 27 balls as Vijayawada Sunshiners consolidated their innings. Harsha Vardhan fell for 22 but Abhinav found another able partner in the form of DB Prashanth (20). The duo added 36 to the total off 29 balls as Vijayawada Sunshiners crossed the 100-run mark.
Dheeraj, Munish help Bhimaravam Bulls gore Vijayawada Sunshiners on way to 3-wicket win
V Giri Prasad struck twice in the 13th over to get rid of Abhinav, who topscored with 49 off 36 balls wiwth four boundaries and two sixes, and Prashanth.
P Tejaswi (17) and P Pandu Ranga Rao (22) then added 38 off 24 balls for the fifth wicket as Vijayawada Sunshiners scored the 150-run mark.
Shaik Zaheer Abbas then struck a 11-ball 25 with a four and three sixes as Vijayawada Sunshiners reached 202 for nine in their 20 overs.
Giri Prasad finished with figures of three for 39 and S Ashish took two for 24.
In reply, Kakinada Kings lost P Arjun Tendulkar (5) to GSV Sumit with 25 on the board. Then A Lalith Mohan struck twice in the fourth over as he got rid of M Abhishek Reddy (17) and O Bhaswanth Krishna (0) to leave Kakinada Kings tottering at 25 for three.
Yuvan & Anjaneyulu script Kakinada Kings’ 71-run win over Vizag Lions in APL opener
Ch Siddhardha packed off M Yuvan (4) and the Kings were staring down the barrel at 31 four four.
P Tapaswi and G Manish steadied the innings with a 47-run partnership off 31 balls before disaster against struck Kakinada Kings.
G Manish (13) was dismissed by Ch Siddhardha and Tapaswi was done in by T Bharath. Tapaswi made 31 off 25 balls with two fours and two sixes. T Bharath then got rid of G Samanvith (0) off the very next ball as Kakinada Kings were reduced to 78 for seven.
Soon they were 108 for nine as Vijayawada Sunshiners choked them up. However, M Lekaz Reddy and last man V Giri Prasad (0) added 43 for the unfinished last wicket with Lekaz doing all the scoring. Lekaz was unbeaten on 62 off 33 balls with four boundaries and five sixes as Kakinada Kings were restricted to 51 for nine in 20 overs.
T Bharath took three for 23, while GVS Sumit, Lalith Mohan and Ch Siddhardha took two wickets apiece.
M Abhinav was named the Player of the Match.
Brief scores: Vijayawada Sunshiners 202 for nine in 20 overs (M Abhinav 49, M Harsha Vardhan 22, DB Prashanth 20, P Pandu Ranga Rao 22, Shaik Zaheer Abbas 25; V Giri Prasad 3/39, S Ashish 2/24) beat Kakinada Kings 151 for nine in 20 overs (P Tapaswi 31, M Lekaz Reddy 62 not out; T Bharath 3/23, GSV Sumit 2/30, A Lalith Mohan 2/17, Ch Siddhardha 2/14).
