Chhattisgarh Men's T20 Invitation Cup 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Jharkhand vs Andhra

Kerala clinched a thrilling victory over Chhattisgarh Red by three wickets in the fifth match of Chhattisgarh Men's T20 Invitation Cup, 2023. Meanwhile, in the sixth game, Jharkhand registered their second win of the season, defeating Andhra by five wickets.

Delving into the details of the first game of the day, Kerala asked the opposition to bat first. Chhattisgarh Red openers Shashank Chandraker and Anuj Tiwary conjured up an impressive 81-run opening partnership, setting a strong foundation for their team.

At no.3, Mayank Yadav contributed 32 valuable runs off 27 balls. The middle-order batters Abhimanyu Chauhan and Vishal Kushwah's double digit scores propelled the side to 178/5 in 20 overs. Left-arm pacer Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan was the pick of the bowlers for Kerala.

In response, Kerala promoted all-rounder Krishna Prasad to open the innings. He started off Kerala's innings with an exceptional 62-run unbeaten knock off just 46 balls with eight fours and a six.

Unfortunately, other batters faltered miserably, with only two other batters reaching double digit scores. At 88/7, Kerala were staring down the barrel.

Then came Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan to rescue his side with the bat as well. In the death overs, he bludgeoned a stupendous 30-ball 60-run unbeaten knock.

Ultimately, Kerala achieved the target with eight balls to spare, keeping three wickets in hand. Pacer Aayush Singh Thakur was the standout bowler for Chhattisgarh Red with his three-wicket haul, albeit in a losing cause.

Moving to the second contest of the day, Andhra batted first after losing the toss. In 20 overs, they posted a formidable total of 168/7 in 20 overs. Opener Manyala Pranith continued his good form with a brisk 34-run knock off 25 balls.

Pranith was well supported by Ricky Bhui, the skipper, with 53 runs off 38 balls. In the death overs, Nitish Kumar Reddy's 23-ball 36-run knock bolstered Andhra to a good total. Vikas Kumar played a pivotal role for Jharkhand bagging three wickets.

In reply, Jharkhand lost their openers quite early. However, Vikash Vishal (46) and Mohit Kumar stood tall and brought back the lost momentum to keep their side in a decent position. After Vishal’s dismissal, Mohit, with his unbeaten half-century, took his side over the line with six balls to spare.

On that note, let's take a look at the tournament standings after the third day’s play.

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Jharkhand surge to the second spot in the standings

Chhattisgarh Men's T20 Invitation Cup 2023 Points Table

Kerala surged up the rankings to top the points table with two wins and a defeat. They are carrying four points with a net run rate of 0.710. Jharkhand surged to the second position with two wins and a defeat, carrying a new run rate of 0.054

Andhra slid down to the third rank with two wins and a loss. They have a net run rate of 0.04. Chhattisgarh Red are carrying the wooden spoon with three defeats. However, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Blue are yet to start their campaign.