Pune, June 15 2023

Maharashtra and National Cricket Academy (NCA) U-19 player Arshin Kulkarni starred with all-round perforamnce as Eagle Nashik Titans defeated Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings by four runs (DLS method) in their Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) match at the MCA International Stadium in Gahunje on Friday.

Opening the batting, Kulkarni smashed 60 (34b, 3x4s, 5x6s) to set up the platform for Nashik and then defended 16 off the last over to take his side home.

Put into bat, Nashik put 195 for 6 on board in their 20 overs with one brief rain interruption in the 16th over. Former India U-19 Mohsin Syyed and U-19 World Cup winner and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings skipper Rajvardhan Hangargekar opened the bowling but were put to sword by Kulkarni and veteran Harshad Khadiwale 43 (34b, 3x4s, 2x6s), who gathered 61 runs in the powerplay.

In the middle phase, after Kulkarni holed out to Shamshuzama Kazi off Rameshwar Daud’s bowling, Nashik’s innings took a wobble. He was followed by Khadiwale, Skipper Rahul Tripathi 11 (8b), India U-19 Siddesh Veer 7 (9b), Mandar Bhandari 8 (5b) to slip to 135 for 5 in the 16th over, when rain briefly interrupted the play.

But, Dhanraj Shinde 35 (17b, 1×4, 3x6s) and Kaushal Tambe 21 (14b, 2x4s) ensured that Eagle Nashik Titans put a formidable 195 on the board.