Published: June 24, 2026 at 10:09 am
Ranga Reddy Risers surged to the top of the HCA’s TG20 points table by registering their second consecutive win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, on Tuesday night.
Ranga Reddy Risers produced a composed all-round performance to register a five-wicket victory over Medak Falcons, who were without the services of star player Tilak Varma.
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The Falcons, the previous night, had chased down a formidable score against Warangal Warriors thanks to Tilak Varma’s unbeaten century. But on Tuesday night, the Falcons were rudderless without their iconic player.
Sai Purnanand Rao of Medak Falcons plays a shot during the game against Ranga Reddy Risers at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday night. Pics: Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS
After restricting Medak Falcons to 164 for 8, the Risers overcame a mid-innings wobble through a calm partnership between Nanavath Rakesh and Nitin Sai Yadav, with the latter finishing the chase in style as the Risers reached the target with 10 balls to spare.
Tanay strikes
Falcons got off to a bright start as Purnanand Rao set the tone with a series of boundaries in the opening overs. He kept the scoreboard ticking, but Risers skipper Tanay Thyagarajan struck the first blow, castling Shrunjith Reddy (6 off 5 balls) in his first over of the match.
Purnanand continued to apply pressure on the Risers’ bowling attack, but wickets kept falling at the other end. Falcons captain Ravi Teja (6 off 4 balls) was caught by Prakash Reddy off Tanay Jaddu, before Tanay Thyagarajan produced another breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous Purnanand, who hit a brisk 38 off 20 balls with six fours and a six, through a brilliant catch by Aditya Javvaji.
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The wicket slowed the Falcons’ momentum considerably, with Nitin Sai Yadav delivering a maiden in the final over of the powerplay as the Falcons reached 51 for 3.
The Falcons had to wait 19 deliveries for their next boundary, which came in the form of a six from Vikram Naik. The wicketkeeper-batter then joined forces with Naman Agarwal (37 off 30 balls with three fours and two sixes), and the pair rebuilt the innings through sensible strike rotation and timely boundaries.
The finishing touches came in the 19th over as Nitin Sai Yadav launched the match-winning six to cap off a composed chase, guiding the Ranga Reddy Risers to victory with five wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare
Their partnership gathered momentum, highlighted by a 16-run 12th over off Tanay Jaddu that took the Falcons past the 100-run mark. However, Tanay Thyagarajan returned to break the 76-run stand, claiming his third wicket of the evening.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Varun Yerram (1 off 2 balls) soon departed, handing Arun Kumar his first wicket, while Surya Teja (10 off 10 balls) was bowled by Tanay Jaddu. Vikram Naik fought hard for his 49 off 38 balls with a boundary and four sixes, but his dismissal to Aryan Cariappa effectively ended the Falcons’ hopes of a strong finish. The Falcons eventually closed their innings at 164 for 8.
Risers begin well Varun turns the tide
Openers Aaron George and Avanish Rao gave the Risers the perfect start to their chase, taking the attack to the Falcons’ bowlers from the outset. Aaron plundered 16 runs in the opening over, while Avanish followed it up with a 12-run second over to lay a strong foundation for the pursuit. Falcons skipper Ravi Teja struck back in the third over, ending the opening stand by dismissing Aaron, the Under-19 World Cup star, for a brisk 27 off 13 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Sai Varun Yerram of Medak Falcons turned the game on its head with a double strike in the final over of the powerplay to leave Ranga Reddy Rieses in a spot of bother at 66 for three
Avanish continued to score freely and kept the scoreboard moving at a healthy rate. However, Varun Yerram turned the game on its head with a double strike in the final over of the powerplay, removing Avanish for 25 off 12 balls with two fours and an equal number of sixes, and Aditya Javvaji (12 off 9 balls) to leave the Risers in a spot of bother at 66 for 3.
The Falcons’ bowlers then tightened their grip on proceedings, restricting the flow of boundaries. The Risers had to wait 31 deliveries for their next boundary, which came off the bat of skipper Tanay Thyagarajan. Sensing the need to shift momentum, Tanay counterattacked with two more fours and a six during his quickfire 21 off 11 balls. However, Ahwinan Ram struck at a crucial juncture to dismiss the Risers captain, reducing them to 117 for 5.
Rakesh and Nitin save the day for Risers
With 48 runs required from the final seven overs, the responsibility fell on Nanavath Rakesh (38 not out of 34 balls with four fours) and Nitin Sai Yadav (28 not out of 19 balls with two fours and a six). The pair remained composed under pressure, rotating the strike effectively while capitalising on scoring opportunities. Nitin accelerated at the perfect time, striking a pair of boundaries in the 17th over to bring the target within reach and ease the pressure on the batting side.
Nanavath Rakesh of Ranga Reddy Risers struck an unbeaten 38 to steer his side home
The finishing touches came in the 19th over as Nitin launched the match-winning six to cap off a composed chase, guiding the Ranga Reddy Risers to victory with five wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare.
Brief scores: Medak Falcons 164 for 8 in 20 overs (Vikram Naik 49, S Purnanand Rao 38, N Agarwal; Tanay Thyagarajan 3/36, Aryan Cariappa 2/23, Tanay Jaddu 2/42) lost to Ranga Reddy Risers 167 for 5 in 18.2 overs (Nanavath Rakesh 38 not out, Nitish Sai Yadav 28 not out, Aaron George 27, A Avanish Rao 25, Tanay Thyagarajan 21; Varun Yerram 2/32).
Player of the match: Tanay Thyagarajan
