Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 19 (ANI): In a low-scoring contest that went right down to the wire, Ujjain Falcons held their nerves to chase down a target of 138 and register a hard-fought five-wicket victory in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Batting first, Indore Pink Panthers were restricted to 137/8 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a disciplined bowling performance from Ujjain Falcons. Madhav Tiwari ripped through the top order, while Rishi Miglani struck at crucial moments, leaving the Panthers reeling at 18/5 early in the innings, according to a press release from MPCA.
Captain Venkatesh Iyer and Saransh Surana attempted to rebuild the innings with a 23-run partnership. However, just as the duo looked to steady the ship, Naveen Nagle struck to dismiss Surana for 15 off 19 deliveries.
Iyer then found support from Shubham Rathore, and the pair added a valuable 50 runs for the seventh wicket to revive the innings. But when it seemed the Panthers were regaining momentum, Aryan Pandey broke the stand by removing Rathore for 21 off 20 balls. Iyer, who top-scored with 47 off 39 deliveries, was dismissed off the very first ball of the final over.
Lucky Mishra provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 26 off just 15 balls.
For Ujjain Falcons, Madhav Tiwari starred with the ball, returning impressive figures of 3/22 from his four overs, while Rishi Miglani delivered a highly economical spell of 2/14 in his full quota.
The Falcons, however, faced a challenging start to their chase and found themselves in trouble at 51/4 after eight overs, with Rishi Miglani also departing for 28 off 23 deliveries. At a crucial stage, Madhav Tiwari and Aryan Pandey came together and steadied the innings with a vital 63-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Just when the Falcons appeared to be cruising towards the win, they suffered another setback as Tiwari was dismissed for a valuable 31 off 34 balls. However, Aryan Pandey anchored the chase brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 56 off 35 deliveries to guide his side home.
Ujjain Falcons eventually chased down the target with one over to spare.
Reflecting on the win, Madhav Tiwari said, "It feels great to get back to winning ways. Our bowling unit gave us the perfect start, and we managed to carry that momentum throughout the innings. There was a slightly challenging phase during the chase, but we stayed calm and Aryan finished the game brilliantly for us. Personally, I always try to assess the conditions and react according to the situation. The wicket was offering assistance, so my focus was on hitting the right areas consistently and building pressure." (ANI)
