India clinch fourth straight win in Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket

Bengaluru, May 15 (IANS) Team India continued its dominant run in the 2nd edition of the Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket with a resounding 171-run win over South Africa at Sai Krishnan Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru—marking their fourth consecutive win in the league stage.

Opting to bat first, India set an imposing target of 243/7 in 20 overs, led by a spectacular 102 off 43 balls from Sonu Rawat (B2) and a solid 74 off 47 by Dinesh Rathva (B3).

In response, South Africa collapsed to 72 all out in 13.2 overs. The Indian bowlers, Gambheer Singh Chauhan and Devraj Pal, picked up three wickets each, dismantling the opposition with precision.

With four wins in four matches, India remains unbeaten and firmly atop the leaderboard, strengthening their title contention.

The series, a five-match international bilateral tournament between the Indian Men’s Blind Cricket Team and the South African Men’s Blind Cricket Team, is organised under the ‘Samarth by Hyundai’ initiative and in partnership with the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.

In the first edition of the Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket, the Indian men’s blind cricket team emerged as winners against the Sri Lankan men’s blind cricket team. The second edition will be a five-match series with South Africa.

The next match will also be played at the Sai Krishnan Cricket Stadium, Muddenahalli, Bengaluru, with the series ending on May 16. The second edition of the Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket will give the athletes a platform to showcase their talent while encouraging many more with their unbreakable spirit.

The second edition of the Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket kicked off today at the Sai Krishnan Cricket Academy in Bengaluru with India beating South Africa by eight wickets, with Deepak Malik contributing an explosive 82 off 48 balls and Manish Kumar adding a quick-fire 45 runs.

India delivered a commanding performance in the second league match, defeating South Africa by 65 runs. In the high-energy league match held at Sai Krishnan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, India overpowered South Africa by 7 wickets, marking 3 wins out of 5 league matches, with just 2 games remaining.

--IANS

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