Wildwood Warriors and HIIMS Hawks enter the finals of Chandra Shekhar Azad T20 tournament

Chandigarh/Panchkula, Wildwood Warriors and HIIMS Hawks enter the finals of the Chandra Shekhar Azad T20 tournament being organised by UT Cricket Association. Both the teams will lock horns at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sector 3, Panchkula on Sunday.Chief Guest Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya will felicitate the winners and runners-up of the final on this occasion.

Earlier in the day, In a high-octane encounter, WildWood Warriors secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over Talanoa Tigers. After opting to field, the Warriors put on a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Talanoa Tigers to 181/8.

Talanoa Tigers had a shaky start while reeling at 6/2  before a resilient middle order stabilized the innings. Skipper Raj Angad Bawa (37), Prashant Ahlawat (33), Akshit Rana (30), and an unbeaten Karan Singh (30) contributed crucial runs. However, the Warriors’ bowling attack led by Raman Bishnoi (3/22), Neel Dhaliwal (2/36), and Chiragvir Dhindsa (2/36), prevented Tigers from accelerating towards a bigger total.

In response, Warriors chased down the 182-run target in 19 overs. Despite an early stumble at 53/2, a match-defining 90-run partnership between Aarush Bhandari and Kunal Mahajan steadied the innings. Bhandari who scored a well-crafted 57 off 47 balls was eventually dismissed by Devang Kaushik at 143/3.The game took a dramatic turn when Taranpreet Singh dismissed Nipun Sharda (7) and ran out skipper Gurinder Singh (6) leaving the Warriors at 166/5. However, all-rounder Paras (14), alongside the well-set Kunal Mahajan, guided the team home with a composed finish.

Mahajan was named Man of the Match for his stellar knock of 71 off 42 balls, which included six boundaries and three sixes, ensuring a hard-fought victory for the Warriors.

Man of the match Mahajan scored 71 off 42 balls studded with six boundaries and three beyond the fence.

In the second match of the day, HIIMS Hawks registered a convincing eight wicket win over City Challengers. The losing side opted to bat first and set a competitive total of 179/9 in 20 overs which was powered by Sanyam Saini’s explosive 57 off 33 balls with the help of six boundaries and three sixes. Amrit Lubana added 34 runs. Nikhil Sharma (2/30), Guarav Gambhir (2/37) and Shivam Bhambri (2/45) clinched two wickets each.

Chasing 180, the Hawks faced an early setback by losing Nehal Pajni (6) in the first over. However, a stellar 138-run partnership between skipper Shivam Bhambri and Gurtaj Singh turned the game in their favor. Gurtaj Singh played a fine knock of 69 off 40 balls before his departure, while Bhambri anchored the chase with an unbeaten 93 off 61 balls, striking nine fours and six sixes with five balls to spare.

Chief Guests – Rekha Sharma & Satnam Singh Sandhu, MPs, Rajya Sabha, Amit Kumar (IAS), Municipal Commissioner, UT, Jatinder Pal Malhotra, BJP, State Head, UT felicitated the winners in the presence of Sanjay Tandon, President, UT Cricket Association, Dr Rupesh Singh, Chairman, Tournament, Apex Members – Devender Sharma (Secretary), CA Alok Krishan (Treasurer) and others.