SURAT: Tiigers of Kolkata closed out their league stage campaign with a 2-wicket win over Hyderabad in their final league fixture of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) on Tuesday.
Put in to bat first, the Tiigers produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Hyderabad to 76/9 in 10 overs, before chasing down the target comfortably in 9.1 overs, according to a release. The win ensured a fourth-place finish on the points table, booking Tiigers of Kolkata a spot in the playoffs.
The foundation of the victory was laid by a sharp and relentless bowling effort, led once again by 17-year-old Ankit Yadav, who continues to grow from strength to strength with every outing. Ankit delivered a standout spell of 3 wickets for 15 runs in two overs, earning the coveted Gully to Glory Award for his impact. He was ably supported by Shivam Kumar, who conceded just 7 runs in his two overs, and Arish Khan, whose incisive swing ball spell of 2 wickets for 10 runs further choked Hyderabad’s scoring. Together, the bowling unit ensured there was no room for recovery, applying pressure from the start.
In the chase, Man of the Match Saroj Paramanik scripted a powerful turnaround after a difficult previous night. Opening the batting, Saroj gave the Tiigers a fairytale start, smashing 20 runs off the first over to set the tone early. He went on to score a fluent 32 off 17 balls, striking two towering nine-run hits and two boundaries, anchoring the chase with authority. Captain Bhavesh Pawar added the finishing touches with a brisk cameo of 15 off 6 balls, as the Tiigers cruised home without losing momentum.
Much of the attention fell on Ankit Yadav. In his first ISPL season, the young bowler has quickly become one of the Tiigers of Kolkata’s more dependable options. Picked through the Central Zone trials, Ankit made the most of his chance in a high-pressure simulation match and has followed it up with disciplined spells and confident execution.
Coming from Banaras, Ankit developed his game through competitive local leather-ball cricket. He is currently balancing Class 12 studies with professional cricket and has taken on added responsibility since losing his father in 2017.