KPL 2017: Bhareth belligerence helps Mysuru win thriller

NP Bhareth’s 32-ball 52 helped Mysuru Warriors see off Hubli Tigers in the first Karbonn Smartphones Karnataka Premier League 2017, powered by Cycle Pure Agarbathies, match at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubbali on Thursday (14 September). Bhareth’s knock helped Mysuru complete the chase of 155 in 19.4 overs for a three-wicket win, despite Mayank Agarwal’s 46-ball 68 for Hubli.

Mysuru had struggled to score initially. Hubli broke through with the big wicket of Karun Nair (15), who was run out. Arjun Hoysala assiduously sealed up one end and looked to pick the gaps, but wickets continued to fall at the other end – KC Avinash (1) fell to M Kranthi Kumar and the important Sunil Raju (11) holed out off Rithesh Bhatkal. After ten overs, Mysuru were 58 for 3.

In the 12th over, sent down by Harish Kumar, it seemed Hubli had changed gears. There were two sixes, one each by Hoysala and Bhareth, but when Harish found a way past Hoysala’s slog and clattered his stumps, Hubli were back in front. Bhareth wasn’t done yet though. He tilted things back Mysuru’s way in the 13th over, picking 21 runs off Dubey, a burst of big-hitting that comprised two sixes and as many fours. It reduced the required rate to 54 runs from 42 balls.

Bhareth then holed out off Vinay Kumar late on, and Shreyas Gopal was bowled by Kranthi Kumar in the very next over. However, SP Manjunath hit a maximum in the final over, with three balls remaining, to seal the victory.

Earlier, Agarwal stroked the ball beautifully all over the park, despite an excellent display by the Mysuru bowlers who kept things tight and ensured no release was offered as the pressure built. So much that, the second-highest scorer for Hubli was Vinay Kumar’s 21 off 17 balls.

Mayank unleashed the drives and the flicks, even as Abhishek Reddy (6), K Siddharth (12) and Praveen Dubey (8) were all dismissed. He brought up his fifty off just 29 balls, before J Suchith finally had him dismissed with a slower ball. The scoring slowed down thereafter, despite the best efforts of Vinay, who holed out of Bhareth, and Rohith Gowda, whose unbeaten 9-ball 14 took the total past the 150-mark.

Brief scores: Hubli Tigers 154 for 7 in 20 overs (Mayank Agarwal 68, R Vinay Kumar 21; R Vinay Kumar 2-29) lost to Mysuru Warriors 156 for 7 in 19.4 overs (Arjun Hoysala 32, NP Bhareth 52; Kranthi Kumar 2-19, Rithesh Bhatkal 2-20) by three wickets.

Man of the Match: NP Bhareth (Mysuru Warriors)