Time to wrap up this coverage, folks! For now, it’s me, Deepak Prakash, signing off on behalf of scorer/analyst Ghanendra Singh Thakur. CHEERS!
Adnan Sheikh (Kolkata Superstars Captain): "We conceded too many runs at the start, but our openers performed exceptionally well. We are very excited—being a new team, many underestimated us, but now we're very close to the trophy."
Nikhil Badeja (POTM): "Our aim is to reach the final, and you'll see me there again delivering the speech."
Player of the Match: Nikhil Badeja
Time for the post-match presentation.....
Chennai Smashers, Lucknow Lions, Bangalore Bashers, and Kolkata Superstars have qualified for the playoffs.
10:59 PM IST, Local Time: Kolkata Superstars won by six wickets and secured their spot in the playoffs. They comfortably chased down 185 runs, and with their victory, the defending champions, Haryanvi Hunters, have been eliminated from the tournament.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Chennai Smashers lost Gulshan Nain (12) cheaply, but Rahul Bisht (30) and Ankit Nagar (32) scored rapidly from the word go and provided a solid start to the team. The Smashers lost wickets at regular intervals, but Mahender Tanwar's scintillating 67 runs off 15 balls helped them post 185/8 in 10 overs. Nikhil Badeja shone with the ball for the Superstars, claiming four wickets. Faisal Farooq chipped in with a couple of wickets, while Rachit Sehrawat bagged a solitary wicket In response to 185 runs, Sunny Karla (40) and Rachit Sehrawat (77) went honkers and bonkers from the outset and provided a rollicking start to Kolkata Superstars. Afzal Hussain (6) departed cheaply, but Apoorva Tiwari’s 15-ball 41 runs knock helped them seal the game with 5 balls to spare. Chennai Smashers leaked runs at regular intervals and failed to defend 185 runs. Ankit Nagar, Mahesh Keshwala, Shubham Matta, and Nishaant Williams bagged one wicket each for the Smashers. Stay tuned for the post-match presentation…