Mohali (Punjab) [India], September 8 : Amritsar Soormas registered their second win in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 over Fazilka Falcons this season, chasing down 192 with three balls to spare to seal a four-wicket victory. The contest carried an added edge with the much-awaited battle between India teammates Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, leading Fazilka and Amritsar respectively, drawing plenty of attention going in.
The match witnessed Gill smashing his long-time Punjab teammate for two sixes and a four before losing his wicket to him, marking another exciting clash at the ongoing Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament.
Put into bat, the Falcons rode off  67 off 35 balls from captain Shubman Gill, along with useful contributions from Pranshu Pratap (40 off 33) and Sanvir Singh (40 off 21), to post 191/6 in their 20 overs. Akash Pandey (2/20) and Abhishek Sharma (2/37) were the pick of the Soormas' bowlers. In reply, Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 49 off just 15 balls, adding 79 for the first wicket with Sahaj Dhawan (37), but the chase hit turbulence in the middle overs as Amritsar slipped to 152/5.
That is when Rahul Kumar, one of the promising young talents in the Soormas camp, took control. Coming together with Reaven Preet Singh at a tense juncture, he kept the required rate in check with calculated strokeplay, and after Reaven fell for 8, he steadied the innings alongside Jashanpreet Singh to see the Soormas home. Kumar finished unbeaten on 53 off 35 balls, an innings that included five fours and two sixes, and was the difference between a nervy finish and a comfortable one.
Speaking after the win, Rahul Kumar said, as per a press release: "Securing back-to-back wins over Fazilka is a big achievement. It is rewarding to see the team win against such a good opponent. Our success was due to our ability to take early wickets at the start of the match."
Sharing his thoughts on Rahul's performance, Abhishek said, "Staying on the winning side always feels good, and I am happy to contribute to the team's success. I hope we can keep this momentum going and continue to receive incredible support from our fans. We'll give our best to win the final and bring home the trophy for them. The boys have been working really hard, and we've got a very good squad."
So far, Abhishek has managed 229 runs in the tournament across four innings at an average of 57.25 and a strike rate of 266.28, including two fifties and a best score of 82.
Amritsar Soormas turn around quickly for their next assignment, facing Mohali Kings at the IS Bindra Stadium on Tuesday in what shapes up as a contrast in recent form. With Anmolpreet Singh in form for the Kings, Amritsar's bowlers will look to strike early, much as they did against Fazilka, while their batting unit, buoyed by Rahul Kumar's finishing form, will hope to set or chase with similar composure.