This game completely turned on its head as Royal 94 threw it away from their grasp and allowed President XI to come back into it and win it by the most slender of margins.
The bowling side had given up all hope until the ninth over, when Ikbal Hossain brought them back into the fore thanks to an excellent over. The final over of the game, bowled by Zaheer Zahiri, however, took the cake, with the bowler picking up four wickets in it and bagging a hat-trick as well.
This over completely tilted the game in favour of President XI as Royal 94, needing 10 runs to win, failed to capitalise on the loose deliveries sent their way and had a lot of hiccups which forced them to play from the crease and not express themselves with carefree abandon.
10
overs
107/7score
W
0
W
W
W
1
runs
Logesh Augustion*
1(1)
Kapilraj Theiventhiran
8(4)
Zaheer Zahiri
4/18
9.6 Zaheer Zahiri to Logesh Augustin, PRESIDENT XI GET THIS THRILLING WIN! Full on leg-and-middle. Knocked around to the wide long-on area from deep in the crease for a single only.
Logesh Augstin, RHB, is the new batter.
9.5 Zaheer Zahiri to Yoganathan Regan, HAT-TRICK COMPLETE FOR ZAHIRI! Full around off-stump. Scuffed from the back foot over the mid-off area. Wide long-off was in position for it and completed a crucial catch!
Yoganathan Regan c Ikbal Hossain b Zaheer Zahiri 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)
Yoganathan Regan, RHB, is the new batter.
9.4 Zaheer Zahiri to Kamalanathan Subaskar, TAKEN AT COVER! Full toss bowled wide of off-stump. Sliced away nicely from deep in the crease. But cover moved swiftly to his right and completed an important catch under pressure!
Kamalanathan Subaskar c Dawood Ahmadzai b Zaheer Zahiri 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)
Kamalanathan Subaskar, RHB, is the new batter.
9.3 Zaheer Zahiri to Thageekan Rajalingam, BOWLED HIM! Full on off-stump. Rajalingam tried to whack it over wide mid-on from the crease, missed it and got his off pole knocked over!
Thageekan Rajalingam b Zaheer Zahiri 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)
9.2 Zaheer Zahiri to Thageekan Rajalingam, Oh! Good length off-cutter around off-stump. A swing and a miss across the line on the back foot, no run.
Thageekan Rajalingam, RHB, is the new batter.
9.1 Zaheer Zahiri to Loyola Alexander, GONE! LBW! Full and straight on off-and-middle. A swing and a miss from deep in the crease. The ball raps the batter on the pads and the dreaded finger goes up upon appeal!
Loyola Alexander lbw b Zaheer Zahiri 32 (21b 3x4 2x6)
Zaheer Zahiri will bowl the final over.
Just one over in hand. Royal 94 need ten runs to win this game and seem confident enough of doing so. President XI seem to have come back well in this game.
9
overs
106/3score
1wd
1
1
0
0
1
1wd
0
runs
Kapilraj Theiventhiran*
8(4)
Loyola Alexander
32(20)
Hossain ikbal
0/30
8.6 Ikbal Hossain to Kapilraj Theiventhiran, full and slow around off-stump. A big swing and a miss across the line from down on one knee. No run.
8.6 Ikbal Hossain to Kapilraj Theiventhiran, WIDE outside the line of off-stump. The batter stepped out and missed his drive through cover too! Oh well, that's a tough call!
8.5 Ikbal Hossain to Loyola Alexander, good length slower ball around off-stump. Steered to the deep backward point region from the crease for one.
8.4 Ikbal Hossain to Loyola Alexander, good length quicker ball around off-stump. Another swing across the line on the back foot and a miss! Dot ball.
8.3 Ikbal Hossain to Loyola Alexander, short and slow around off-stump. A big heave across the line on the back foot and a miss! No run.