CCL 2023: Clinical Bhojpuri Dabanggs sail into semis; Jisshu Sengupta & co. ousted

Ahead of game #11 of the CCL 2023, the Bhojpuri Dabanggs were looking to capitalize on their good run and also leverage the Bengal Tigers' poor performance so far in the tournament. A win for the Dabanggs meant that they joined Karnataka Bulldozers in the semi-finals but a loss, although not too damaging, would have made their next and final league-stage game against the Kerala Strikers a must-win contest.

For the Bengal Tigers, on the other hand, their place in the tournament was at stake and a loss against the Dabanggs would have caused their exit. A win would have helped them stay afloat but considering that the boys from the Bhojpuri film industry were on a hot streak, the challenge posed to them was quite stiff.

And just as expected, Bhojpuri Dabanggs put on another credible show in Trivandrum as they clinched the game quite comfortably. The Bengal Tigers lost the toss and were put into bat but thanks to Dabanggs' superb bowling performance, they were bundled out for a measly 59 in their first innings. 

Manoj Tiwari, captain of the Bhojpuri Dabanggs, picked up 3 wickets for only 11 runs with Aditya Ojha, too, claiming 3 wickets to his name for 12 runs.

In response, Bhojpuri Dabanggs almost batted the Tigers out of the game by scoring a whopping 116 for the loss of 5 wickets in their first quota of ten overs. Pravesh Yadav scored 57 runs in only 25 deliveries with Aditya Ojha chipping in with 30 runs in only 14 balls. Jammy Banerjee and Sandeep Bhattacharya got two wickets each for Bengal Tigers.

The Tigers, who were now behind by 57 runs, needed nothing less than a miracle to turn the game around and Jisshu Sengupta, their captain, looked like he was going to pull off something special. Having lost both openers cheaply, Sengupta got hold of the reins and scored a commendable 30-ball 68 to help his side get to a total of 105 for 2. 

Needing only 49 to win and sail into the semis, Bhojpuri Dabanggs were quite nervy and it almost looked like they would make a mess of their seemingly-comfortable chase. Losing the first wicket without any runs on the board and then the second one at the score of only 10, the Tigers had a small window of opportunity presented to them. It got quite exciting when Dabanggs then lost three back-to-back wickets, still needing 10 runs to go over the line. Uday Singh from the Tigers picked up 3 crucial wickets and gave away only one run in return.

However, thanks to Asgar Khan's 29-run knock and some poor fielding on the Tigers' part, the Bhojpuri Dabanggs secured their well-deserved nevertheless and beat their opposition by 5 wickets. They now lead the table along with Karnataka Bulldozers and have booked a spot in the semi-finals for themselves.

The Bengal Tigers, however, are out of the tournament following three losses on the trot.