Lucknow, Aug 18 (IANS) In a gripping, low-scoring thriller, the Lucknow Falcons held their nerve to beat the Noida Kings by three wickets in Match 6 of the UP T20 League at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
While the Falcons walked away with the points, the evening belonged to a remarkable success story from the UPCA’s grassroots development program. Despite Noida’s narrow defeat, young pacer Shubham Gautam, scouted entirely through the UPCA ‘Speed Hunt’ initiative and secured for a massive ₹21.5 lakhs in the auction, justified his price tag with a scintillating spell of fast bowling. Hitting the deck hard, Gautam showcased immense temperament to pick up crucial breakthroughs, finishing with exceptional figures of 3/22 in his four overs and proving the incredible value of the state’s talent-scouting vision.
The match was officially inaugurated by the Honorable Minister of Khadi and Village Industries, Sericulture Industries, Handloom, and Textiles for the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Rakesh Sachan. The Honorable Minister conducted the toss and set the game in motion by performing the traditional Bell Ringing Ceremony. He was joined by esteemed dignitaries, including UP T20 League Governing Council Chairman Dr. Sanjay Kapoor, Governing Council Member Sanjeev Kumar Singh, and Organizing Committee members Mohanlal Agrawal and Faisal Sherwani.
After Lucknow Falcons skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and opted to bowl first, the Noida Kings initially found a steady rhythm, registering a 34-run opening stand. However, the introduction of Navneet Kumar triggered a monumental collapse when he dismissed Shoaib Siddiqui in the fourth over.
The turning point arrived in a chaotic fifth over bowled by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Abhinandan Singh. The over yielded three wickets as Abhinandan cleaned up the stumps twice, and Priyam Garg executed a brilliant direct-hit run-out, leaving Noida reeling at 48/5.
Shiva Singh attempted a fierce counter-attack for the Kings, smashing three consecutive sixes off Delhi Capitals’ Vipraj Nigam in the eighth over. However, his cameo was cut short in the very next over by Navneet, who claimed his third wicket of the night. A gritty 49-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Bobby Yadav and Kartik Siddhu brought some respectability to the total before India international Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Siddhu in the penultimate over.
Abhinandan Singh then returned to wrap up the tail, claiming two wickets in the final over as Noida was bundled out for 136. Abhinandan finished with phenomenal figures of 4/30, rightfully earning the Player of the Match award.
Defending a modest 136, Noida Kings needed early wickets and they got exactly that, reducing the Falcons to 41/2. Speed Hunt sensation Shubham Gautam announced his arrival by claiming his first wicket of the season, sending back Mohammad Saif.
Wicketkeeper-batter Aaradhya Yadav anchored the tricky chase brilliantly, striking a composed half-century (51 off 42 balls) to keep the Falcons on track. However, Shubham Gautam swung the momentum back in Noida’s favor with a sensational 16th over.
He struck twice in quick succession, dismissing the well-set Aaradhya and removing Impact Player Ali Zafir Mohsin for a duck, leaving the Falcons in a tense spot at 108/6 with 29 runs required off 24 deliveries.
With the match hanging entirely in the balance, Sameer Choudhary stepped up to absorb the pressure. He held his nerve beautifully, compiling an unbeaten 28 off just 19 deliveries, hitting the winning runs in the 20th over to seal a dramatic three-wicket victory for the Lucknow Falcons.
Brief Scores- Lucknow Falcons: 137/7 in 19.2 overs (Aaradhya Yadav 51, Sameer Choudhary 28 not out; Shubham Gautam 3-22) beat Noida Kings: 136 All Out in 20 overs (Abhinandan Singh 4-30, Navneet Kumar 3-33)
–IANS
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