It feels great to be in the semis, says Taha after Tigers thrash defending champions

The defending champions Belagavi Panthers were knocked out of this year's Karnataka Premier League after the Hubli Tigers thrashed them by 34 runs in the second match of today's double-header.

Chasing 183 for victory, the Panthers managed to score only 138.

Once again, it was those two men, Vinay Kumar Mahesh Patel, who turned the screws in favour of the Tigers with some exceptional bowling from start to finish.

Vinay Kumar picked up four wickets while Mahesh picked up two.

With 2 wickets to his name in this match, Mahesh now holds the Purple Cap as well. His wrist spin has been extremely effective and the opposition batsmen have not found an answer to it yet.

He has 12 wickets to his name so far and will look to extend that, with the semifinals beginning in a few days.

With their win, the four semifinalists have been decided as well, namely Bengaluru Blasters, Hubli Tigers, Mysuru Warriors, and Bijapur Bulls. The only thing yet to be decided is the match-ups.

Sportskeeda caught up with the Tigers' opening batsman Mohammed Taha after the match.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Q. How does it feel to qualify for the semis?

It feels great. We have been doing really well for the past three seasons. It's a great season to qualify for the semis.

Q. You have been in great form but unfortunately, you failed with the bat today. What are your plans going forward?

My plan is to bat in the same way as I always have. Today was unlucky but I hope to come back stronger

Q. What do you have to say about Vinay Kumar and Mahesh Patel's bowling?

No words for Vinay bhai. This is not the first time he is doing it. He has done it everywhere - for Karnataka, in the IPL, and for India as well. It's just a normal thing for him.

I'm very happy for Mahesh Patel. The way he has been bowling and the way he has been performing from the beginning has been fantastic and I couldn't be happier.