Abhirath Reddy Leads Hyderabad E-Champions Into TG20 Final With Blazing 82
Captain Abhirath Reddy smashed 82 runs off 49 balls to lead the Hyderabad E-Champions to an eight-wicket victory over the Karimnagar Diamonds in Qualifier 2 of the Sreenidhi University TG20 League at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday night. With this win, the Hyderabad E-Champions secured their spot in Sunday's final against the Anvita Khammam Aces. Reddy's performance also made him the leading run-scorer of the tournament edition, reaching a total of 501 runs.
Chasing a target of 158 runs, the Hyderabad E-Champions reached 160 for two in 15.3 overs. The chase was anchored by a dominant 124-run opening partnership between Abhirath Reddy and Vikas Reddy, who scored 45 runs off 31 balls, hitting three boundaries and three sixes.
After Vikas Reddy was dismissed, Abhirath Reddy was joined by Vaishnav Reddy, who scored an unbeaten 25 runs off 12 balls. Abhirath Reddy eventually edged a delivery from Akhil Sankoju to wicketkeeper Rahul Radesh, but by then, the Hyderabad E-Champions were already at 149 for two in 14.6 overs and closing in on the target.
Earlier in the evening, the Karimnagar Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat first. They faced an early setback when their in-form captain, Tanmay Agarwal, who had scored three centuries in the tournament, was dismissed for 10 runs by off-spinner Shanmukha Ashwin in the fourth over.
Medium-pacer Akhil Rathod then dismissed the other opener, Satwik Reddy, for 28 runs in the eighth over, leaving the Diamonds at 61 for two. A 40-run partnership between H.K. Simha, who scored 38 runs, and Rahul Radesh, who made 28 runs, helped steady the innings. However, left-arm spinner Pranav Varma dismissed Simha, and Ashwin bowled Rahul Radesh to halt their momentum.
Pranav Varma also dismissed Chandan Sahahi for 7, leaving the Diamonds struggling at 119 for five in 16.2 overs. Spinners Ashwin and Varma combined to bowl eight overs, conceding 54 runs and taking four wickets.
A late unbeaten 31 runs off 18 balls from Shubham Sharma, along with a 38-run sixth-wicket partnership with Narayana Teja, helped push the Karimnagar Diamonds to 157 for seven in their 20 overs. Medium-pacer Ajay Dev Goud claimed two wickets for 24 runs in the final over for the E-Champions.
