Harshit Choudhary’s unbeaten century helps Warriors slay Aces for their maiden TG20 win

Harshit Choudhary struck an unbeaten century to power Warangal Warriors to a five-wicket win over Anvita Khammam Aces in the HCA’s TG20 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal, on Wednesday evening.

Chasing 203 for victory, opener Harshit Choudhary carried his bat as he compiled a 62-ball unbeaten 121 to lead the Warriors to victory in a tense chase. Mohd Abdul Malik (3 for 35) and Murugan Abhishek (3 for 54) did well to restrict the Aces to 202 despite half-centuries from Mayank Gupta (54 off 36 balls) and Mickil Jaiswal (54 off 22 balls).

Aces were quick off the blocks with Wafi Kachchhi and Mayank scoring ten runs in the first over to set the tone. Wafi struck consecutive sixes off Abdul Malik in the second over before the bowler struck back immediately to dismiss the 19-year-old and give his side an early breakthrough.

Mayank and Mickil to Aces’ rescue

Mayank then partnered with Himateja Kodimela (23 off 13 balls) as they stitched together a quickfire 47-run stand of 24 balls. The two batters made the most of the powerplay, finding the gaps with expert precision. Abdul Malik then stepped up for the Warriors once again, dismissing Himateja in the final over of the powerplay, with the Aces reduced to 60 for 2.

Despite losing a couple of wickets, Aces continued to be on the charge as Mayank and Prateek Reddy (20 off 11 balls) combined to add 35 off 20 balls to the total. The latter looked in fine touch as he struck three fours in his innings, but his untimely dismissal in the ninth over courtesy Abhishek reduced Aces to 104 for 3.

Mayank hung in there to ensure the scoreboard kept ticking alongside Mickil Jaiswal (54 off 22 balls), who laid down a marker of intent from the get-go. The two batters notched their half-centuries with Mayank getting there with a well-constructed innings in 32 balls, while Mickil smashed 7 sixes and a boundary to amass his fifty in 21 balls.

Abhishek broke the partnership by getting rid of Mickil in the fifteenth over, which triggered a collapse for the Aces. Mayank, who was the joint top-scorer for the innings, also fell soon after. From there on, the Aces only managed a boundary and a six towards the end as they lost six wickets in a space of 27 runs. Abdul Malik and Abhishek bagged three wickets each, while Pallepati Kranthi (2/42) and Mudassar (1/30) also chipped in to bundle out the Aces for 202.

Warriors’ openers laid the foundation for the chase, scoring 28 off the first two overs with Harshit leading the charge. District player Mahesh Vipparla gave his side the breakthrough in the third over, getting the better of Aman Rao Perala (7 off 4 balls) – who scored the fastest century in T20 domestic leagues in the previous game against Medak Falcons.

Harshit makes most of dropped catch

A key moment of the match came in the fourth over when Harshit was dropped on 32. He made the most of that lifeline along with Rishiket Sisodia as they ensured that the required run rate remained in check with a 51-run stand of 29 balls, helping Warriors’ post 77 for 1 in the powerplay.

Then 16-year-old Ved Reddy broke the partnership in the eighth over, giving his side a glimmer of hope as he outsmarted Rishiket (27 off 16 balls). Harshit then anchored the innings with a 28-ball fifty, even though Bhavesh Seth (15 off 13 balls) and Anirudh Srivatsa (14 off 10 balls) were sent back in quick succession by Saaketh Dhatrak, keeping Aces in the contest.

With the game going down to the wire, Harshit displayed immense maturity and calmness as he registered his century in 48 balls. Although Aces captain C V Milind got the wicket of Abhishek (5 off 4 balls) in the 18th over, Harshit ensured he finished the job for his side along with Adi Mani Kiran (14 off 4 balls), who chipped in with a handy cameo to lead their team to a five-wicket win.

Brief scores: Anvita Khammam Aces 202 in 19.2 overs (Mayank Gupta 54, Mickil Jaiswal 54, K Himateja 23, Prateek Reddy 20; Mohd Abdul Malik 3/35, Murugan Abhishek 3/54, Kranthi Pallepati 2/42) lost to Warangal Warriors 208/5 (Harshit Choudhary 121 not out, Rishiket Sisodia 27, Saaketh Dhatrak 2/29).

Player of the match: Harshit Choudhary