Chandigarh: A sensational century by Nehal Pajni guided Capital Strikers to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Tricity Bashers in the 4th Omaxe Chandigarh Premier League 2026 at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula on Tuesday.
Chasing a formidable target of 191, Capital Strikers rode on an explosive knock from Nehal Pajni who smashed 107 runs off just 56 deliveries which was studded with 12 boundaries and six towering sixes. His match-winning innings helped the Strikers reach 191/5 and overhaul the target on the final ball of the contest by registering their first win of the season.
The defeat marked Tricity Bashers’ second consecutive loss in the tournament, putting them under early pressure in the league standings.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, Tricity Bashers recovered from a shaky start from 24/3 to post a competitive 190/6 in their allotted 20 overs. The Bashers made a strong comeback through Sanyam Saini and Ankit Kaushik.
Sanyam played a brilliant innings of 62 off 37 balls while Ankit remained unbeaten on 53 from just 29 deliveries. Hardik Chowdhry chipped in with a useful 22 runs to propel the Bashers to competitive total.
For Capital Strikers, Jaskirat Singh Mehra was the standout bowler, claiming two crucial wickets while conceding only 26 runs in his four overs.
The Strikers’ chase got off to a shaky start with captain Arjun Azad departing cheaply. However, Nehal Pajni took control of the innings and stitched together crucial partnerships with Gurtaj SIngh (31) and Surya Narayan Yadav (37) to keep the chase on alive.
Although Tricity Bashers fought back with timely wickets in the closing overs, Pajni’s remarkable century had already laid the foundation for victory. Capital Strikers eventually crossed the finish line with five wickets in hand.
Prior to that, on Monday’s night Rock Garden Warriors pulled off a sensational six-wicket victory over Capital Strikers. Despite a stunning unbeaten 153 by Arjun Azad that powered Capital Strikers to 258/3, the Warriors responded brilliantly and reached 260/4 in 18.5 overs. Skipper Dipender Kush starred with an unbeaten 79 while Raman Bishnoi smashed 55 not out to seal the win.
