Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], June 22 (ANI): The league stage of the Jharkhand T20 Cricket League 2026 concluded with the Chota Nagpur Royals and Santhal Strikers registering comprehensive wins.
While the Royals secured the last spot in the semi-final by crushing the Jamshedpur Steelers, the Santhal Strikers ended their campaign on a high note by defeating the Dhanbad Diamonds here at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, according to a press release.
In the afternoon match, the Chota Nagpur Royals batted first and posted a massive 211/4 in 20 overs, riding on Player of the Match Virat Singh’s splendid, unbeaten century (106* off 58 balls). He found an excellent ally in MD Nazim Siddiqui, who provided brisk support with a 32-ball 54. The dynamic duo put on a dominant 88-run opening stand before Siddiqui was dismissed, after which Shresth Sagar chipped in with a crucial 25 off 20 balls to maintain the momentum.
For the Jamshedpur Steelers, the bowling unit struggled, though Harsh Rana (1/29), Aman Kumar Singh (1/30), Pranjal Kumar (1/36), and Pratik Ranjan (1/50) managed to pick up a wicket apiece.
Chasing a daunting target of 212, the Jamshedpur Steelers never got going and were bundled out for just 126 in 19.1 overs. A devastating top-order collapse saw them lose their first six wickets with just 38 runs on the board, completely taking the wind out of their sails.
It was only Harsh Rana’s fighting innings of 46 off 35 balls that saved them from complete humiliation and helped the team reach a somewhat respectable total, while Shakti Singh chipped in with a gritty 22 off 34 balls lower down the order.
The Royals’ bowling attack was clinical, spearheaded by Rahul Rajak, who claimed a stellar 3/11 in his 2 overs, while Deepanshu Rawat locked things down with 2/25 from his 4 overs.
The evening fixture saw the Dhanbad Diamonds bat first, only to be bowled out for a meagre 106 in 18.1 overs. Ram Raushan top-scored with 32 off 20 balls, while Vikash Kumar Vishal made a quickfire 26 off 17 balls. For the Santhal Strikers, players of the match Sanjeet Sharma (4/10) and Anmol Raj (4/20) ran through the batting lineup, picking up four wickets apiece.
The Santhal Strikers made quick work of the chase, cruising to 107/1 in just 11.5 overs to cross the finish line with 9 wickets and 49 balls to spare. Kumar Suraj led the charge with an unbeaten 53* off 34 balls, well-supported by Vibhor Pandey’s 32 off 27 balls. Vivekanand Tiwari (1/28) picked up the lone wicket for the Diamonds on a tough evening.
With the league stage wrapped up, the tournament now shifts to the high-stakes knockouts on June 22, at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. (ANI)