Published: June 11, 2026 at 11:08 am
Bhimavaram Bulls gored Vijayawada Sunshiners on way to a thrilling three-wicket victory on the second day of the Andhra Premier League 2026 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday night.
The architects of Bhimavaram Bulls’ victory were lower-order batters M Dheeraj Kumar and Munish Varma. The duo scripted a remarkable turnaround for the Bulls, who at one stage looked destined to a loss.
Bhimavaram Bulls’ M Dheeraj Kumar was named Player of the Match
Dheeraj Kumar struck six sixes and two fours in his 22-ball 56 and Munish remained unbeaten on a 28-ball 49 with four boundaries and three over it as Bhimavaram Bulls made 217 for seven with three balls to spare.
Earlier, Bhimavaram Bulls’ skipper M Hemanth Reddy won the toss and elected to field first. The move seemed to backfire as Vijayawada Sunshiners openers began aggressively. They rattled off 60 in the powerplay as skipper Ashwin Hebbar
Ashwin Hebbar ton goes in vain
Ashwin Hebbar plundered runs at will as none of the Bhimaravam Bulls’ bowlers could make much on an impression on him. His 124 came off 58 balls and contained 8 fours and 10 sixes. Ashwin Hebbar has the distinction of becoming the first player to hit a century in APL 2026. However, his effort went in vain.
Meanwhile, the other opener, M Abhinav, also played a crucial role in Vijayawada’s batting effort. He scored 41 off 31 balls with five fours and a six. Every batter, thereafter, hit a boundary or two before returning to the pavilion but that helped Vijayawada Sunshiners to cross the 200-run mark. They ended up with a healthy 214 for 6 in 20 overs.
Hemanth Reddy was the most successful Bhimavaram Bulls bowler as he claimed two wickets while giving away 29 runs.
In reply, Bhimavaram Bulls too began aggressively but they also kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Although openers Hemanth Reddy and Revanth Reddy shared a solid partnership for the first wicket, the middle order collapsed.
Dheeraj and Munish to the rescue
Consequently, lower-order batters Dheeraj and Munish steered the team toward victory. They wisely rotated the strike while hitting massive sixes and boundaries. Dheeraj scored 56 off 22 balls (2 fours, 6 sixes) and Munish scored 49 off 28 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes). Their magnificent partnership turned the game around for Bhimavaram Bulls, who had been on the brink of defeat.
Toshith sets up Amaravathi Royals’ six-wicket win over Tungabhadra Warriors in APL 2026
The duo guided the team to victory from a situation where a loss seemed inevitable, creating a tense atmosphere throughout the stadium.
Even though Dheeraj fell towards the end, the path to victory had already been paved for Bhimavaram Bull. They scored 217 for 7 in 19.3 overs with Munish at the crease to guide them home.
Sameera Bharadwaj captivated the audience with her singing
Dheeraj was named Player of the Match for his stupendous knock. There was plenty of action off the field too for the fans, who not only enjoyed the cricket on the field but also were entertained by Sameera Bharadwaj. She captivated the audience with her singing.
Brief scores: Vijayawada Sunshiners 214 for six in 20 overs (Ashwin Hebbar 124, M Abhinay 41; Hemanth Reddy 2/29) lost to Bhimavaram Bulls 217 for seven in 19.3 overs (K Revanth Reddy 31, TV Sai Sravan 34, M Dheeraj Kumar 56, Munish Varma 49 not out; Lalith 2/33, Pramod 2/36).
