Celebrity Cricket League 2024 Points Table: Updated standings after Mumbai Heroes vs Kerala Strikers, Match 1

The Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) 2024 season opened with a thrilling contest between the Mumbai Heroes and Kerala Strikers at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on February 23.

With their thrilling nine-run win over the Kerala Strikers, the Mumbai Heroes have shot to the top of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) 2024 points table. After the first match of the new season, Mumbai find themselves on two points thanks to the victory, with a healthy net run rate of +0.450.

On the other hand, Friday's loss means the Kerala Strikers are anchored at the bottom of the standings with zero points and a NRR of -0.450. Kerala's think tank will know they need to urgently address their poor performance against Mumbai or risk falling behind early in the tournament.

The league still in its early stages. Hence, both teams as well as the other sides have ample time and opportunities to change their fortunes and rank higher in the points table.

However, given the nature of the tournament, early momentum and points in the bag could prove invaluable in the final lap of the tournament.

---

Mumbai Heroes start CCL campaign with thrilling win over Kerala Strikers

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, the Mumbai Heroes got off to a shaky start, slipping to 29/4 as their top order failed to fire. However, gritty lower-order contributions took them to a below-par 76/7 in their allotted 10 overs.

In reply, the Kerala Strikers took a slim six-run lead after their first inning, scoring 100/6 at the end of the second inning. This set up an intriguing match going into the third inning.

The Mumbai Heroes stepped up and put up a total of 85/5 in the third inning and posted a competitive 92 runs for the Kerala Strikers to chase.

The run chase did not go according to plan for Kerala as Mumbai Heroes' Saqib Saleem wreaked havoc. He picked up three quick wickets to leave Kerala reeling at 14/3 after just three overs. The middle and lower orders could not quite recover, as Kerala ended up nine runs short of the target. They only scored 83/5 in their allotted 10 overs in the fourth inning of the game.

Early days, no doubt, but Mumbai have laid down a marker with an impressive all-round display under pressure. On the other hand, Kerala have some work ahead to heal and try to build momentum after this demoralizing loss.