Mohali, Sep 2026 : Jalandhar Warriors produced a composed performance under pressure to edge past Ludhiana Lions by seven runs in a thrilling Sher-E-Punjab T20 League encounter at the I.S. Bindra Stadium here on Monday.
Batting first, Jalandhar Warriors overcame a disastrous start to post a competitive 169/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Ludhiana's bowlers made early inroads and reduced the Warriors to 16/3 by the end of the second over, putting the batting side on the back foot.
However, Prabhsimran Singh and Gourav Makan combined effectively to revive the innings. The pair initially focused on rebuilding the innings, rotating the strike and avoiding unnecessary risks before gradually increasing the scoring rate. Their partnership provided Jalandhar with much-needed stability after the early collapse.
Prabhsimran looked composed during his stay at the crease and scored 39 off 30 deliveries before being dismissed. His departure once again put pressure on Jalandhar, but Gourav continued to anchor the innings and played a crucial knock.
Gourav Makan completed a valuable half-century, scoring 52 off 43 balls. His innings ensured that Jalandhar remained in contention for a competitive total despite losing wickets at regular intervals. With the final overs approaching, Aryan Yadav took responsibility for accelerating the scoring.
Aryan played an important unbeaten cameo, scoring 35 from 26 balls to provide the Warriors with the finishing push they needed. His contribution helped Jalandhar reach 169/8, a total that appeared challenging on a pitch where the Lions' bowlers had enjoyed considerable success early on.
Krish Bhagat was the standout bowler for Ludhiana, claiming four wickets for 37 runs in his four overs. Kartik Chadha also bowled economically, finishing with figures of 1/21 from his full quota.
Ludhiana began the chase positively, with openers Abhijeet Garg and Bikramjeet Singh putting together 49 runs for the opening wicket. The Warriors, however, fought back by taking crucial wickets and reduced the Lions to 79/3.
Arjun Rajput and Salil Arora then rebuilt the innings and gave Ludhiana renewed hope with a 54-run partnership. Rajput scored 45 from 33 balls before his dismissal, while Salil contributed 26 off 24 deliveries.
With 19 runs required from the final two overs, the contest remained evenly poised. Krish Bhagat kept Ludhiana's hopes alive by smashing a six off the final delivery of the 19th over, leaving the Lions needing 10 runs from the last six balls.
Randeep Singh, entrusted with the final over, delivered under pressure. He dismissed Aseem Kohli for 11 off seven balls with the very first delivery and then removed Havneet for a duck in the next two balls.
With two deliveries remaining, Krish Bhagat returned to strike but could manage only a single after failing to clear the boundary. Ludhiana needed eight runs from the final ball, but could not score.
The Lions eventually finished at 162/8 in 20 overs, handing Jalandhar Warriors a dramatic seven-run victory after a tense final over.
