Odisha won the first Women’s National T20 Tournament for Blind after registering a comprehensive 87-run victory over Karnataka in the final at DDA Sports Complex Siri Fort in Delhi on Thursday.
Batting first, Odisha put up a huge total of 218/8 in 20 overs and then restricted Karnataka to 131/8 during the chase.
Captain Lina Swain (B2) and Padmini Tudu (B1) were named the players of the match for their brilliant effort with the bat and in the field. Padmini chipped in with a crucial 16 runs while, skipper, Lina scored important 33 runs to rescue her team out of initial struggle and then played a crucial role in running out two opposition batters.
“I am very happy to play an important role in winning the title for our team. It was a great tournament for us, we enjoyed a lot. I thank Cricket Association for the Blind in India for introducing this competition. This tournament provided us a platform to showcase our talent,” Swain said after the match.
Karnataka’s Varsha U (B1), Odisha’s Basanti Hasda (B2) and Jharkhand skipper Geeta Mahto (B3) were awarded Player of the Series.
Earlier, electing to bat, Odisha batters continued their dominance and posted their fourth 200-plus total in as many matches of this tournament. Despite losing both the in-form openers, Basanti Hasda and Manu Purty, in the very first two deliveries of the match, Odisha recovered well to post massive total, thanks to Phula Soren and Lina. Phula scored 39 runs of 27 balls while Lina struck 35-ball 33 and provided much-needed stability to Odisha’s innings.
For Karnataka Varsha U claimed two wickets in four overs. In reply, Renuka Rajput (25 runs off 27 balls) and Jayalakshmi B (30 runs off 33 balls) laid the foundation of Karnataka’s run-chase with 66-run opening partnership. However, post Renuka and Jayalakshmi’s departure, the team failed to maintain the momentum.
Brief Score:
Odisha 218/8 in overs (Phula Soren 39, Lina Swain 33; Varsha U 2-47, Deepika 1-10) beat Karnataka 131/8 in 20 overs (Miss Jayalakshmi 30, Renuka Rajput 25) by 87 runs.