KPL 2019: Pavan Deshpande, bowlers hand Shivamogga Lions second successive win

Pavan Deshpande’s half-century and a spirited bowling display helped Shivamogga Lions record their second victory in the Redmi Karnataka Premier League, powered by Dream11, at the M Chinnaswamy here on Sunday.

The Lions, who posted a facile six-wicket win over Hubli Tigers on Saturday, were not quite as clinical this time still managed a 14-run win over Mysuru Warriors in the day’s first game.

Deshpande’s 42-ball 53 guided Lions to 166 for 7 in 20 overs before the bowlers, led by Pradeep T (3/22) and HS Sharath (3/36), reduced the Warriors to 152 all out in 19.2 overs. KV Siddharth was the lone fighter for the Warriors, scoring 77 runs from 54 balls.

Amit Verma, the Warriors skipper, won the toss and opted to bowl under gloomy skies. The Lions, however, approached the innings with aggression to negate Warriors’ ploy.

Nihal Ullal, who scored an unbeaten 88 from 60 balls in Lions’ win on Saturday, once again sent the bowlers on a leather hunt. His dismissal for 28, followed by Arjun Hoysala’s demise for the same score, meant the Lions were under some pressure.

Deshpande, the left-hander who was dropped on 29 by KV Siddharth, calmed the nerves with a calculated assault, carrying them to 100 in 10.4 overs. The Warriors did manage to keep the scoring down in the last five overs but it wasn’t enough to ensure a successful chase.

Mithun, the Lions’ skipper, picked up the wicket of Dega Nischal in the opening ball of the innings. Thereafter, it was one-way traffic for the most part. Sharath bagged the crucial wickets of J Suchith, Shoaib Manager and Aniruddha Joshi (26), and Mithun added Amit to his tally. Pradeep was especially good bowling at the fag end of the innings.

Still, Siddharth kept the Warriors in the hunt with some stunning blows. But with 19 needed in the final over, he wasn’t able to see them through.

Scoreboard: Shivamogga Lions: 166/7 in 20 overs (Arjun Hoysala 28, Nihal Ullal 28, Pavan Deshpande 53; Vyshak Vijay Kumar 2-41) vs Mysuru Warriors (KV Siddharth 77, Aniruddha Joshi 26; Abhimanyu Mithun 2-34, Pradeep T 3-22, HS Sharath 3-36, SP Manjunath 2-17) by 14 runs.

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