T20 MUMBAI | Ayaz helps Royals past Andheri and into semifinals

Ayaz Khan rose to the occasion when it mattered, his composed yet authoritative knock ensuring MSC Maratha Royals kept its title defence alive by sealing a place in the T20 Mumbai semifinals at the Wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday.

Ayaz’s superb 87 (49b, 7×4, 3×6) helped Royals chase down 169 against ARCS Andheri and set up a last-four showdown against North Mumbai Panthers on Thursday.

Even before the final league fixture began, the equation had become crystal clear. With SoBo Mumbai Falcons defeating table-topper Panthers earlier in the day, Siddhesh Lad’s Royals needed only a victory to advance.

Already assured of a semifinal berth, Andheri opted to rest captain Shivam Dube, placing the responsibility of steering the innings on Musheer Khan’s shoulders.

The youngster responded impressively. Musheer crafted a fluent 62 off 36 deliveries, timing the ball sweetly and ensuring the scoreboard continued to move despite wickets falling at regular intervals.

However, a disciplined Royals attack denied Andheri the late flourish it desperately sought, restricting the innings to 168 at the end of the allotted overs.

The chase suffered an early setback when opener Sahil Jadhav departed off the very first ball. Ayaz, though, remained unfazed. Walking in at No. 3 under considerable pressure, the stylish left-hander built the innings methodically before accelerating at the right moments.

Equally adept at finding gaps and clearing the ropes, Ayaz ensured Royals never found themselves behind the required rate. By the time he departed in the 18th over, the outcome was a mere formality.

The scores: ARCS Andheri 168 in 20 overs (Musheer Khan 62, Tushar Deshpande 2/39, Irfan Umair 2/27, Atharva Bhosale 2/35, Maxwell Swaminathan 2/45, Aditya Dhumal 2/14) lost to MSC Maratha Royals 170/5 in 18.2 overs (Ayaz Khan 87, Prasoon Singh 3/26).

North Mumbai Panthers 157 in 19.2 overs (Anish Chaudhery 32, Abhigyan Kundu 45, Yash Dicholkar 2/17, Vedant Gore 2/33, Mayuresh Tandel 4/30) lost to SoBo Mumbai Falcons 158/3 in 18.1 overs (Ishan Mulchandani 65, Gautam Waghela 45 n.o.).

Semifinal line-up: ARCS Andheri vs Aakash Tigers MWS (2 p.m.); North Mumbai Panthers vs MSC Maratha Royals (7 p.m.).

Women’s League: Thane Sky Risers 113/9 in 20 overs (Vrushali Bhagat 32, Manali Dakshini 2/20, Batul Pereira 2/22) lost to Aakash Tigers MWS 117/2 in 15 overs (Sanika Chalke 74 n.o., Fatima Jaffer 35 n.o., Kashish Nirmal 2/32).