Lucknow: Kerala registered a thrilling one-run victory over Tripura in the National Senior Women’s T20 Championship, producing a remarkable comeback in the closing stages of the match. Kerala took four wickets in the final eight balls to defend a modest target of 109 runs and seal an unlikely victory.
Batting first after winning the toss, Kerala managed 108 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Tripura finished at 107 for nine, falling just one run short. The victory was particularly significant for Kerala, who had earlier suffered a narrow one-run defeat against Punjab in the tournament.
Kerala’s innings was held together by a fighting half-century from T. Shani. Opening the batting, Shani scored 52 runs off 46 balls to guide the team to a respectable total. Her opening partner Kiran Navgire contributed 23 runs before being dismissed. Among the other batters, only V. Drishya managed to reach double figures, scoring 11 runs. Tripura bowlers Sebika Das, Priyanka Acharya and Ambesha Das claimed two wickets each.
Tripura’s chase got off to a shaky start, with the team losing three wickets for 39 runs. Captain Rizu Saha was then forced to leave the field due to an injury. However, middle-order contributions from Indrani, who scored 30, and Annapoorna Das, who made 22, brought Tripura back into contention.
At the end of 18 overs, Tripura were 94 for five. With five wickets in hand, they needed just 15 runs from the remaining 12 balls to win. Kerala, however, turned the match around with a decisive late surge.
The final over proved decisive as Kerala picked up three wickets. Sajana Sajeevan took a return catch to dismiss Annapoorna Das, while Priyanka Acharya and Sebika Das were run out. Kerala’s bowlers and fielders held their nerve in the closing moments, restricting Tripura to 107 for nine and securing the one-run win.
Sajana Sajeevan was named Player of the Match for her impressive bowling performance. She finished with figures of three wickets for 21 runs in her four overs.
