Tournament sponsored by NATARAJ PENS (Hindustan Pencil Ltd)
Mulund Gynkhana opting to bat first at the SPCA Ground in Kalyan West posted a total of 126/6 in 20 overs. Opening the innings, Abhinav Saha scored a solid 51* off 65 balls batting till the end at a time when wickets were falling from the other end.
Kalyan Sports Foundation in reply managed to reach only 82/9 in 20 overs thanks to some really tight bowling by Vedant Toprani who came up with impressive bowling figures of 4/9 in 4 overs which also had 2 maidens. Abhinav who top scored with the bat also took 2/17 in 3 overs with the ball making it an all-round performance as Mulund Gymkhana went on to win the match by 44 runs while Abhinav Saha was declared “man of the match”
Into the all important finals, Mohan CC batting first at National CC ground were off to a mixed start with in form opener Prashant Yadav scoring an impressive 58 but they did lose some quick wickets in between with scoreboard reading 126/5 at one stage. However, Nirdosh Yadav who came at no.6 played a crucial knock of 53 runs in mere 40 balls (9 fours) when the chips were down. Nirdosh also received excellent support from Fazil & skipper Kawaldeep who came at no.7 & 8 contributing 39 runs and 31 runs respectively pushing the team total to a respectable 261/9 in 45 overs.
Brothers CC in reply were all out for 192 runs as they lacked batsman at the top who could play an anchoring knock. Sameeran Chalke and Abhijeet Verma smashed fighting half centuries at the lower order however the efforts went in vain as Mohan CC went on to win the finale by 77 runs. Skipper Kawaldeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 3/29 while Fazil Mukadam with 2/9 was also impressive with the ball.
Kawaldeep speaking with Cricketgraph post the emphatic win said- It was our Mentor Mr. Ashutosh Tipnis’s dream along with the club owner Mohan Jaywant who has supported us through our ups and downs and here we are emerging as the champions on the back of collective team efforts.
T20 Mumbai has certainly been a great platform for the young budding cricketers. It has opened up a huge window to perform for the state and club level local cricketers. Some of the finest talents in Mumbai have got a chance to represent in T20 Mumbai and it thus makes the tournament very very special. Some players who were relatively unknown with their performances are getting recognized all over the country and one of them is definitely spinner Ankush Jaiswal.
Not many know that the 26yr old is a Ranji Player who has represented the Mumbai team. Ankush has played for Mumbai at various levels which includes U15, U19, U25. The budding off- spinner studied in IES New English School Bandra, did his junior college from G.K Khalsa while completed his senior college studies from Rizvi.
Speaking with Cricketgraph, Ankush shared his heart out with us and we could feel the hardwork which he has gone through over the years. Ankush quipped “My academy coach was Chandrakant Bhatkar sir who is himself an offspinner & he is still our MIG Cricket academy coach. Then as i was promoted to MIG A team, i worked a lot with Kiran Mokashi (Off spinner) ex Ranji player, this two coaches have helped me to make sure my basics became strong after that when i was selected for Mumbai Ranji team, Omkar Salvi helped me alot to become a different bowler & now Prashant Shetty our Eagle Thane Strikers coach gives me tactical advice”
Ankush who at present is employed with Mumbai Customs has played in various tournaments across various formats.
We told Ankush to elaborate more extensively about his struggles and he shared–“ I credit everything to my mom and dad. My father is a groundsman at MIG cricket club, he has worked hard to make what i am today & unconditional love alongwith hard work from my mother who use to wake up early and make food for me, she never tried to send me empty stomach to the ground even if it is 6.30 or 7 am. She always made sure that i get something to eat before or after the match and I will be forever indebted to my parents”
Ankush who was born &brought up in Mumbai also looks up to his elder brother Lavkush Jaiswal who he believes has been a great support. Ankush said when I was small I grew up watching him play!
Well it was indeed a touching story from the grassroot level of cricket & we wish Ankush a great cricket career ahead!
Shivaji Park Lions batting first were not able to make much of an impact with the bat registering a modest total of 125/9 in 20 overs. There was nothing much to boast about apart from Siddhesh Lad scoring 37 off 42 balls at no.3 while Tamore’s 29 ball 40* at no.6 played a crucial role in team atleast crossing the 120 run mark. Left-arm quickster Royston Dias was simply stunning with the ball returning with excellent bowling figures of 4/26 in 4 overs. The left-arm pacemen who also represents Mumbai Ranji team who had surprised Tendulkar in 2013 with a vicious bouncer in the nets has come a long way since his teens as he was simply spot on with the ball making life difficult for the batsman. Mohit Avasthi (2/29) and Akash Parkar (2/15) were also quite impressive with the ball.
There is no better sight than watching two classy batsmen stitching a partnership and it was exactly the case with Triumph Knights as Parikshit Valsangkar 52* off 48 (3 fours, 2 sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav 56* off 35 (6 fours, 2 sixes) stitched an unbeaten 106* run stand in 77 balls.
Both the right handers smashed some really pleasing shots to the eyes as they sealed the chase in 15.4 overs winning the match by 8 wkts.
- Brief Scores-
- Shivaji Park Lions- 125/9 in 20 overs, Hardik Tamore 40*, S Lad 37, Royston Dias 4/26, Akash Parkar 2/15
- Triumph Nights Mumbai North East- 126/2 in 15.4 overs, Suryakumar 56*, Parikshit 52*, S Lad /26, Shivam Malhotra 0/12
- Result- Triumph Nights Mumbai North East won the match by 8 wkts and 4.2 overs to spare.
North Mumbai Panthers batting first at Wankhede were off to a flying start thanks to their openers Vikrant Auti and Vishal Dhagaonkar putting on 97 runs in mere 8.3 overs. Auti scored a quick 37 ball 52 (6 fours, 1 six) while Vishal plonked some big sixes en-route his 26 ball 46 (4 fours, 3 sixes). The rest of the batters gave starts of 10’s and 20’s as they reached a decent total of 169/6 in 20 overs. Arjun Tendulkar bowled an impressive spell taking 3/27 in 3 overs which consisted big wickets of the middle order hitters. Skipper Dhawal Kulkarni with 1/25 in 4 overs was spot on with the ball.
Chasing 170 at more than 8 runs an over, Aakash Tigers were struggling at 57/3 in 8 overs and 87/4 in 12 overs. However, a match winning partnership between the 16yr old Suryansh and India A Shams Mulani ensured the script of the game was changed. Suryansh being the youngest of the lot did felt some jitters but he overcame everything to play a supporting role under pressure scoring 27* off 24 balls. It was an impressive debut for the young man while Shams Mulani thrashed the bowlers showing ample of experience and calmness hitting a belligerent 60* off 31 balls (3 fours, 4 sixes).
What’s more Mulani ended the game in style hitting veteran Pravin Tambe for a six and a boundary as Aakash Tigers won the match by 6 wkts and 4 balls to spare.
- Brief Scores-
- North Mumbai Panthers- 169/6 in 20 overs, Vikrant Auti 52, V Dhagaonkar 46, Arjun T 3/27, Dhawal K 1/25
- Aakash Tigers-171/4 in 19.2 overs, Shams Mulani 60*, Suryansh Shedge 27*,Rahul Sawant 2/22, V Auti 1/18
- Brief Scores- Aakash Tigers won by 6 wkts
Snaps-
Both the boys Raj and Roneet have been promising since their U10 days and over the years they both have give some consistent performances across various tournaments. This time batting together in the same team for Kalina Center A, Raj opening the innings went on to score a brilliant 113 off 199 balls (12 fours) while Roneet Thakur who came at no.3 not only stitched a 236 run stand for the 2nd wicket with Raj but he also went on to play a marathon knock of 248*off 288 balls. It was a strokeful innings which consisted 41 boundaries and a six as he confidently toiled with the bowlers staying for almost 100 overs on the crease. Late cameos by Krish (52) and Divyam (32) further pushed the team to a total of 519/6 in 104.5 overs.
Virar Center were 164/7 in 52 overs at the end of the game’s play where the match was eventually declared drawn. Opener Tanish Meher (54*) and Shivam Ghosh (44) looked good but the team lacked someone who could score big. Roneet also bagged a stunning 3 wkts for mere 3 runs in 5 overs along with Shubham Kharat who took 3/36 in 16 overs.
It was a match which ended in a draw but Kalina Center appeared to be dominating while tons by Raj and Roneet remain the highlight performance in the match.
From a budding coach who has helped young cricketers accelerate in their game to assisting players in their careers to find the right team. Jayesh Kulkarni has been one coach with numerous caps to his name.
For the uninitiated, Jayesh Kulkarni is an MCA Level O and Kites Level II (Under National Skill Development Corporation) certified cricket coach training young players since almost a decade. The Kites Level 2 Course he had learned under the aegis of John Gloster (Former Trainer with India Cricket Team & currently with Rajasthan Royals) & Dinesh Nanavati (National Cricket Academy) where many of the great coaches of Mumbai as well as of India have trained under him. Jayesh has also trained under various coaches including Dr.Sanjay Bharadwaj sir (Level 3 BCCI, NIS & Phd) Vidhyadhar Paradkar sir who he believes have helped him a lot in the recent years in increasing his skills. Jayesh is also the Assistant head coach at Sri Ma Gurukul Cricket Academy & Euro School Thane. Jayesh is also the Assistant Head Coach at the Rajawadi Cricket Academy. Jayesh has also received training multiple times under the legendary Amol Muzumdar this year and he feels lucky that
Amol Muzumdar sir in his free time imparts training without even charging a penny in his academy. Fitness Coach Ajit Kulkarni who is associated with Adidas has trained Prithvi Shaw and many top level athletes at the National level also trains the students at the Rajawadi Cricket Club. Ajit’s inputs on fitness and prevention from injuries has helped the kids in the academy a lot.
Speaking with Cricketgraph-Jayesh said the MCA registered Rajawadi Cricket Club has great history, Apart from Tendulkar since 1990, many players from Mumbai or Maharashtra who have represented Indian or Ranji team has represented Rajawadi cricket team at some or the other stage and that is a matter of pride for us.
When asked which tournaments his academy has won so far-Jayesh explained the whole system to us.
We have won Thosar Shield in 2018 and we were runners up in 2017. We were the runners up in Mahim Dadar Challenge Shield’17 representing Baronet CC and while representing Prabhu Jolly Young Cricketers we got promoted from E to F Division in Kanga league. We won kanga knockout twice is last ten years but got relegated from Kanga League because we believe in building the players and the team rather than hiring professional players & a temporary team. With that approach we have progressed so far but could’nt survive in the Kanga Div G. The reason we were not able to survive in Kanga is we don’t pressurize our players or restrict them to the same club, at the same time we don’t hire professional players to represent our team, rather we allow our students to play for our team. We promote and allow them to play for bigger clubs and higher divisions because for him and the academy- a player’s cricket career holds more importance than building his academy’s team”
We scout players across schools and colleges, then we train them making it an activity which is a part of our Rajawadi Cricket Academy.
Some of the recent examples he shared-
“This year we promoted our student Aditya Kolhatkar, he is getting trained under Amol Muzumdar! Amol sir saw him in the nets practicing during the afternoon time when it was too hot and he got immediately impressed by his dedication levels and his bowling skills. Amol Muzumdar then insisted coach Amit Dani to look after him after which Mr. Dani called the kid to Parel Sporting Nets at MIG, then he eventually took Aditya in the Parel Sporting Club team which is right now the top Div team in the Kanga League”
“Even the recent example of say Pradnya Bhagat, Jayesh took the 11yr old Girl at the TMGA Camp in DY Patil in its 1st edition and Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar got so impressed by her, that Sachin Tendulkar himself quoted that this girl is the future of Indian Cricket team”
“Ritesh Patil is another player who has been doing good. For the betterment of their future we allow them to go and play for higher divisions. That is why we are not able to win the big tournamets as we are promoting our players to play for higher divisions and clubs rather than taking our team further.
What’s more, his activities are not just limited to coaching, he has always been a helping hand when it comes to helping players find the right team. Recently, he helped his childhood friend and India’s batting star Ajinkya Rahane bag a contract in Hampshire.
When asked more about it, he shared, Ajinkya was not able to get the contract done, last year also efforts were on for a county stint but because of his schedule, it was getting difficult but this year I am thankful to almighty we recieved fruitful outcome of our efforts on assisting Ajinkya Rahane to bag a Hampshire contract.
Apart from that, Jayesh was also associated with Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy in its 1st edition and at present actively associated with Middlesex County Cricket Club. Apart from that too, he has good networking skills in the cricketing ecosystem which often comes in handy.
Another feather in the cap is his recent association with the Thane Eagle Strikers which is one of the teams this year in T20 Mumbai’19.
When asked about his future goals- My aim is to definitely help more and more cricketers grow in their careers with the help of my coaching skills and networking I possess, to help them find more and more opportunities & help them find the right teams. Jayesh also said I will try to grasp more knowledge & coaching skills as much as I can.
Royal CC after opting to bat first notched up a total of 201 runs in 40.1 overs. Opener Suyash Ghegade scored a solid 54 runs off 80 balls (7 boundaries) continuing his good performance from the last match where he had taken 4 wkts in the semi-finals. Apart from him, Mandar Garude at the middle order chipped in with 48 runs. From the bowlers, Right arm medium pacer Rahul Kadam with 4/35 in 6.1 overs was the pick of the bowlers.
Chasing 202 with both the openers back with scoreboard just reading 13 runs, it was the 20yr old Gilchrist Prabhakar who scored a fluent 73 off mere 59 balls laced with 5 fours and 4 sixes turning the script as well as the momentum of the game. Despite a lack of support from the other end, he kept playing his natural cricket while Siddhesh Gayande at no.7 scored a match winning half century hitting 59*off 77 balls as Thane Sporting CC won the finals by 4 wkts and 8 overs to spare.
Thane Sporting CC lift the prestigious Thosar Shield Trophy while it was crucial half centuries by Gilchrist and Siddhesh helping them chase the total with ease. 20yr old Gilchrist who has a career best score of 175 has already played in big tournaments like Kanga, Times Shield and many more. Let’s wish the youngster and as well as both the teams full of youngsters all the luck for a great career ahead.
Into the all important finals of the prestigious Kanga Knockout, Borivali CC after opting to bat first registered a total of 249/5 in 45 overs. The middle order played a handy role with Sushant Kadam (34), Abhinav Jagtap (41), Rakesh Naik (62) and Prathamesh Golatkar (37) providing handy contributions with the bat. From the bowlers, Akshay Ambike with 3/31 was the pick of the bowlers.
Chasing 250, Young National CC also had their middle order fighting it out with Omkar (32), Hanumant (51) and Dattaprasad (39) chipping in but they certainly required someone from these 3 to bat till the end as they were all out for 207 runs in 43.5 overs. Rakesh Naik and Vishal Kavaiya who are both left arm spinners were the pick of the bowlers chipping in with 3 wkts each as Borivali CC went on to win the finals and become the winners of the Kanga Knockout D Division.
Skipper Rakesh Naik was leading from the front for Borivali CC & last year also he was leading the KRP 11 team which went on to become the champions.
- Top performers for Borivali CC-
- Rakesh Naik-308 runs with an average of 108.00 alongwith 9 wkts and a century
- Sushant Kadam-232 runs in 4 matches
- Vishal Kavaiya-14 wkts in 4 matches
- Himanshu Sonthalia-13wkts in 4 matches
North Mumbai Panthers batting first posted a decent total of 160/7 in 20 overs. It was a good start by the top order with opener Auti (31) and no.3 bat Karan Nande (40) top scoring the innings. Atif Attarwala’s late cameo down the order where he smashed 26* off just 10 balls further ensured that the team crossed the 150 run mark with ease. The experienced duo of left arm spinners Iqbal Abdullah (2/27) and Salil Agharkar (2/27) were the pick of the bowlers. For the uninitiated, Salil has also played for Maharashtra Ranji team!
With 3/1 and 41/3 at the end of the 9th over, the chips were already down and North Mumbai were looking clear favourites until Shubham Ranjane and Praful Waghela stitched a magical 113 run stand in mere 62 balls. Shubham scored a match winning 71* off 42 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes) while Praful Waghela scored 45 off 31 (3 fours, 1 six) before he unluckily got run out on the 116th ball of the game.
But the damage was already done by this too as Gaurav Jathar once again smashed the winning runs for his team! Shubham and Praful though may haven’t played too many games together but both are Mumbai players who have been toiling hard at the local level where many a times they may be pitted against one another. It was a match today full of experienced players showing their worth be it Iqbal or Salil with the ball and Shubham and Praful with the bat as Arcs Andheri won the match by 6 wkts.
- Brief Scores-
- North Mumbai Panthers-160/7 in 20 overs, V Auti 31, Karan Nande 40, Iqbal Abdullah (2/27), Salil Agharkar (2/27)
- Arcs Andheri-163/4 in 20 overs, Shubham Ranjane 71*, Praful Waghela 45, Rahul Sawant 1/14, Shashikant Kadam 1/12
- Result-Arcs Andheri won the match by 12 runs
