Puneri Bappa started their Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) campaign with a dominant eight-wicket win over Kolhapur Tuskers at the MCA Stadium in Pune on June 15. Opting to bowl first, Puneri Bappa’s bowlers put up an impressive performance, restricting Kolhapur to 144 runs. Ankit Bawne top-scored for Kolhapur with a resilient 72 off 57 deliveries.
Sachin Bhosale and Piyush Salvi were the key architects of Puneri Bappa’s bowling success, taking six wickets collectively and breaking through the top and middle order. In response, Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased his aggressive batting prowess, continuing his stellar form from the recently concluded IPL 2023.
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Gaikwad’s blazing knock included a rapid 22-ball fifty and a spectacular 110-run partnership with Pavan Shah, firmly placing Puneri Bappa in a commanding position. With effortless ease, Gaikwad hammered five towering sixes and added five boundaries to his quick-fire 64 off just 27 balls, boasting a scintillating strike rate of 237.04.
Unfortunately, Gaikwad’s extraordinary innings came to an end when he was caught by Ankit Bawne off the bowling of Shreyash Chavan. However, Pavan Shah continued the assault, registering his own well-deserved half-century with a composed 57 off 48 deliveries, including six boundaries and a maximum.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our rating for @Ruutu1331
Also, the number of 6️⃣s he hit tonight!
..#MPLonFanCode pic.twitter.com/SA1h1h6VdT
— FanCode (@FanCode) June 15, 2023
Suraj Shinde and Yash Kshirsagar then guided Puneri Bappa to a comfortable victory, reaching the target in a mere 14.1 overs. Ruturaj Gaikwad was awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance. Notably, Gaikwad had an impressive IPL 2023 season, accumulating 590 runs in 16 matches for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with four half-centuries.
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Puneri Bappa’s next fixture in the MPL will be against Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings on June 18. With Gaikwad’s explosive form and the team’s solid start, Puneri Bappa will be eager to carry their winning momentum forward in the tournament.
