Chandigarh: The inaugural edition of the Journalist Premier League organized by the Journalist Welfare Trust and United Press Club concluded at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula with Rajasthan defeating Himachal by 7 wickets to lift the title.
After winning the toss, Rajasthan captain Mukesh Meena opted to bowl first. Batting first, Himachal posted 152 runs in 20 overs. Rimpu scored 44 runs, while Narveer Thakur contributed a valuable 35. For Rajasthan, Satish Kumawat delivered a magnificent bowling spell, claiming 4 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs while Manish Dixit picked up 3 wickets. Chasing a target of 153, Rajasthan got off to a steady start. After early setbacks, Satish Kumawat played a brilliant knock of 52 runs off 37 balls. He was well supported by Aditya Atreya (37) and Garvit Narang (17) to achieve the target in 19 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Rakesh Saklani took 2 wickets for Himachal.
Satish Kumawat was adjudged both Man of the Match and Man of the Series for his outstanding all-round performance.
Rajeev Dutta, OSD to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, graced the occasion as the chief guest. On this occasion, financial assistance was also provided to the families of deceased journalists by the United Press Club. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini’s Media Advisor Parveen Atre and ADGP Kaustubh Sharma were also present and appreciated the tournament.
In his address, Rajeev Dutta lauded the initiative and announced that the next edition of the tournament will be held in Jaipur.
