In a contest dominated by bowlers, Majhi Mumbai held their nerve to register a thrilling two-run victory over Falcon Risers Hyderabad in the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) Season 3 at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat on Wednesday.
Defending a modest total of 64, all-rounder Abhishek Kumar Dalhor delivered a masterclass in death bowling, successfully defending seven runs in the final over to deny Hyderabad a win that seemed within their grasp.
The match reached its climax with Hyderabad needing seven runs from the final six balls. Dalhor, who had earlier struggled to find his rhythm with the bat, rose to the occasion with the ball in hand. He maintained an impeccable line, conceding just four runs and claiming the vital wicket of Sanskar Dhyani (3) on the penultimate delivery. Hyderabad finished their 10 overs at 62/6, falling agonizingly short of the target.
Dalhor concluded with decisive figures of 1/11 from his two overs, while Vijay Pawle provided crucial support with 2/17. For Hyderabad, the narrow loss overshadowed a valiant chase led by Prashant Gharat, who anchored the innings with a composed 22 off 17 balls, and Shreyash Kadam, who remained unbeaten on 15.
Earlier in the evening, Falcon Risers Hyderabad produced a clinical bowling performance to restrict the defending champions to 64/8. The attack, spearheaded by Vicky Bhoir and Parveen Kumar, dismantled the Mumbai lineup with precision. Both Bhoir and Kumar returned exceptional identical figures of 3/8 from their two-over quotas.
Majhi Mumbai struggled for momentum throughout their innings. Ajaz Shaikhlal Bepari provided the only real spark, smashing a rapid 16 off just 6 balls—a knock that featured a signature 9-run shot. However, his dismissal by Bhoir triggered a collapse. Kabir Singh attempted to steady the ship with 15 off 17 balls before retiring out, and Vijay Pawle chipped in with 11, but the relentless pressure from Hyderabad kept the score under 70.
Bengaluru Strikers will take on Tiigers of Kolkata in the first match on Thursday at 5:30 PM, while Chennai Singams will lock horns with Falcon Risers Hyderabad in second match of the evening at 8 PM.
Brief scores: Majhi Mumbai 64/8 in 10 overs (Ajaz Shaikhlal Bepari 16, Kabir Singh 15; Vicky Bhoir 3/8, Parveen Kumar 3/8) beat Falcon Risers Hyderabad 62/6 in 10 overs (Prashant Gharat 22, Shreyash Kadam 15 no; Vijay Pawle 2/17, Abhishek Kumar Dalhor 1/11).
