CCL 2024: Darling Krishna and J Karthik power Karnataka Bulldozers to fantabulous victory over the Mumbai Heroes

The Karnataka Bulldozers posted the tournament’s lowest score so far, then restricted the Mumbai Heroes to a lead of only 6 runs. But then they played their second innings and everything changed! A supercharged Bulldozers side set a mammoth 124 run total to chase and then put on a fine display of bowling too to win the match with the Heroes 39 short of victory. 

Riteish Deshmukh won the toss and sent the Karnataka Bulldozers in to bat. The match had a slightly delayed start owing to a mild drizzle, which disrupted the game mid-way too, for a bit. But there was no reduction in overs when the match resumed.

Skipper Pradeep and Darling Krishna gave the team a modest start, but from there on there was a collapse like a house of cards. Posting the lowest innings total of the tournament so far, the Bulldozers floundered so miserably, it was impossible to imagine that this was a team that has played six finals in the Celebrity Cricket League.

The Bulldozers got to all of 70/9 in 10 overs, with the Mumbai Heroes putting on a scintillating bowling and fielding experience. But for Pradeep, Krishna and Rajeev, no one got to double figures, with J Karthik and Karan departing for ducks. It was an absolutely abysmal batting performance.

When the Mumbai Heroes then came in to chase this, with Samir Kocchar and Saqib opening, it seemed that they were enroute to putting on a massive score that would be difficult for the Bulldozers to cross and set a decent target. But after the initial thrust with the first wicket falling only at a score of 47, the Bulldozers applied the brakes and how with some tight bowling that restricted the Heroes to 76/3. At this point, the match officials wanted to reduce the number of overs for the second innings, which Kiccha Sudeep argued and shot down eventually.

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And then, the Bulldozers returned for their second innings and boy were they all charged up. Even though they lost skipper Pradeep and Chandan early on, Darling Krishna and J Karthik took over and literally went to town on the Mumbai Heroes' bowling. Krishna quite literally hit it out of the park, letting loose with a firecracker 55 of only 18 balls, studded with many 6s. Between Krishna and Karthik, they turned around the match, setting the Mumbai Heroes a target of 124 runs, after getting to 129/3.

With a mammoth total to chase, the Mumbai Heroes got off to a shaky start, losing 2 wickets early on. The Bulldozers’ bowlers kept a tight line, allowing the Heroes their first maximum hit and boundary only in the 5th over. The team did try to step on the gas every now and then, but they lost too many wickets along the way and ended their innings at 85/8.

JioCinema is the streaming partner of CCL 2024. The matches are also available on Doordarshan and Sony Ten 5. The Karnataka Bulldozers vs Mumbai Heroes match brings to end the cricketing action in Sharjah. Next weekend, the action moves to Hyderabad.

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