Photo by Sumeet Parmar / CREIMAS
Hyderabad, June 26, 2026: A sensational 143-run stand between Gaurav Reddy and Nitish Reddy propelled Anurag Nalgonda Knights to a commanding 91-run victory over Warangal Warriors at the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s Sreenidhi University TG20 in the first match on Friday.
After amassing 259/5 – the joint-highest team total of the tournament – the Knights complemented their batting brilliance with a disciplined bowling effort to bundle out the Warriors for 168 in 14 overs, sealing a comprehensive all-round triumph.
Being put in to bat first, the Knights were dealt an early blow as Pranav Suryadevara (4 off 5) was dismissed by Md. Abdul Malik in the first over. The setback didn’t restrain Gaurav Reddy (81 off 33) and Nitish Reddy (80 off 42) with both batters executing a brutal counterpunch to add impetus to their innings.
Finding boundaries at will, they scored 75 runs in the next five overs to help the Knights post 83/1 in the powerplay. There was no respite for the bowlers in the middle overs either. Gaurav dismantled the bowlers and blazed his way to a 19-ball fifty, while his partner scored his half-century in 27 balls, as the two stitched together a blistering partnership to put their team in the ascendancy.
Mudassar Hussain gave Warriors the much-needed breakthrough, dismissing Gaurav in the 12th over. The scalp brought an end to the 143-run stand off 65 balls. However, Nitish continued the onslaught alongside Rahul Buddhi (31 off 18) as the two combined for 44 off 21.
Warriors seemingly pulled things back as they got rid of Nitish and Rahul in successive overs at the death. Despite the double blow, Knights lower order made sure they made most of the foundation laid, with Arfaz Ahmed (33 off 14) and Divesh Singh (18* off 7) executing their roles as finishers. The pair provided the ideal finish, notching 49 in 18 balls to help their side post 259/5 – the joint-highest team score in the tournament thus far.
Knights were off to a rapid start in the run chase. Aman faced a scare when he was 10 off 4, holing out in the deep in the second over. With the batting side rollicking along, Nishanth Saranu delivered crucial twin strikes as he dismissed Harshit Choudhary (10 off 7) and Rishiket Sisodia (0 off 1) in consecutive deliveries.
Aman continued to fight with his blitzkrieg knock, scoring 46 off 15 – all his runs coming off boundaries – before he fell to Arfaz in the fifth over. In an attempt to keep up with the required run rate, Murugan Abhishek blasted his way to a quickfire 44 off 19 balls, with Bhavesh Seth (22 off 10) and Mani Kiran (16 off 10) producing handy cameos alongside him.
Despite the flurry of boundaries, the required rate continued to climb as the Knights kept striking at regular intervals. Nishanth Saranu returned to remove Abhishek, while Varun Goud tightened the screws in the middle overs with two quick wickets, dismissing Shaunak Kulkarni (4 off 6) and Md Asif Mansoori (5 off 8) in the 13th over to leave the Warriors reeling at 158/8.
With little batting left, Aniketh Reddy wrapped up the innings in style. After accounting for Mudassar Hussain (5 off 4), he removed Pallepati Kranthi (5 off 3)in the final over to complete the clean-up as the Warriors were bowled out for 168 in 14 overs. The Knights registered a commanding 91-run victory, underlining their batting firepower and disciplined bowling performance in a comprehensive all-round display.
Brief Scores:
Anurag Nalgonda Knights beat Warangal Warriors by 91 runs
Anurag Nalgonda Knights* (Gaurav Reddy 81, Nitish Reddy 80, Abdul Malik 2/51)
Warangal Warriors* (Aman Rao 46, Murugan Abhishek 44, Nishanth Saranu 3/42)
Player of the match: Nitish Reddy
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