A splendid show from Karnataka that ended in a whimper

By K.R. Nayar

It was near and yet so far for Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. A last-ball six from Chennai’s Shahrukh Khan thwarted their dream of lifting this trophy despite a splendid show throughout the event.

This story was published in News Trail, Bangalore 

Khan, who was named after Bollywood film star Shahrukh Khan following a suggestion from his cousins, emerged the hero in the match. Karnataka had posted a challenging 151 for 7 and looked set for a victory with Tamil Nadu reduced to 116 for 5 in 17.1 overs. But a spirited batting display from Khan won the match for Tamil Nadu.

Despite the heart-breaking end for Karnataka, they had played excellent cricket throughout the event to reach the final.

They began their campaign through a nine run win over Mumbai with skipper Manish Pandey top scoring with 84 runs backed by Karun Nair (72) to post 166 for 4 in the 20 overs. They then managed to defend their total through some fine bowling from Konganda Cariappa and Krishnappa Gowtham. Their four-wicket win over Chhattisgarh was an impressive one with four balls to spare. Both, Devdutt Padikkal and Belur Sharath scored 42 runs each. They made it three victories in a row beating Services by 33 runs. Once again skipper Pandey top scored with 51 runs.

Karnataka’s victory run continued with triumphs over Baroda by seven wickets through Padikkal’s 56. Even though they bowed to Bengal by seven wickets in their last match in Guwahati, they came back strongly in the pre-quarterfinals in Delhi to beat Saurashtra by two wickets with one ball to spare. This was mainly due to Abhinav Manohar’s unbeaten 70.

The second quarter final against Bengal was a thriller all the way. The match ended in a tie with Karnataka posting 160 for 5 in 20 overs and Bengal too reaching the same score losing eight wickets. However, in the one- over eliminator, Karnataka emerged winner and sailed into the semifinal.

It has been a hard-fought journey for Karnataka all the way, but they maintained their fighting spirit to stop Vidarbha by four runs in the semi-final. Karnataka posted 176 for 7 through opener Rohan Kadam’s 87 and Pandey’s 54. Though Vidarbha chased strongly, Cariappa with two wickets led the fight and restricted them to 172 for 6.

T20 is a format where luck too plays a role. In the final, despite Karnataka producing a sterling show, the match was snatched away from the jaws of victory. Despite finishing as runners-up in this prestigious tournament, they displayed they are a power to reckon with in Indian cricket and one of the best T20 teams too. On their way to the final, they won over some of the strong teams in India’s domestic cricket. What has been impressive is their batting strength led by their consistent and in-form skipper Pandey. Though Tamil Nadu recorded their second successive win in this tournament, Karnataka had almost snapped their winning run. Ultimately, only one team emerges the winner in a final, and it was not Karnataka’s turn this time despite a good show.