With the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2025 season nearing its conclusion, the Raigad Royals kept their title hopes alive with a thrilling six-wicket win over Kolhapur Tuskers in the Eliminator on Friday in Pune. The victory means Raigad now advance to Qualifier 2, where they will face Puneri Bappa on Saturday, also in Pune. Puneri had earlier lost to the Eagle Nashik Titans by eight wickets in Qualifier 1.
While the match offered plenty of cricketing action, one moment of sheer chaos stood out. During a routine single, the Raigad batters attempted a second run after a misfield. But as they turned back, both players collided mid-pitch and fell to the ground. The opportunity for an easy run-out beckoned.
The wicketkeeper quickly lobbed the ball back to the bowler, who fumbled the collection. Sensing a chance, Rahul Tripathi dashed in, swooped on the ball like a hawk, and fired a direct hit at the stumps — but missed by inches.
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To add insult to injury, the ball zipped past the vacant slip cordon and raced away for four, summing up the Tuskers’ frustrations. A stunned commentator summed up the moment perfectly: “Listen, there are so many things to dissect in this one!”
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Earlier, Kolhapur set a competitive target of 165 after posting 164/7 in their 20 overs. Ankit Bawe played a measured knock, scoring 57 off 50 balls with two sixes and as many boundaries. Nikhil Kadam starred with the ball for Raigad, bagging three wickets.
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In response, Raigad chased down the target with two balls to spare, finishing at 165/4 in 19.4 overs. Vicky Ostwal anchored the innings with a superb 74 off 54 balls, smashing 11 fours and a six. Anand Thenge picked up two wickets for Kolhapur but couldn’t prevent their exit.
