Odisha crowned champions in first Women's National T20 Tournament for Blind

Odisha won the first-ever Women's National T20 Tournament for Blind by a mammoth 87 runs against Karnataka in the final at DDA Sports Complex Siri Fort in Delhi on Thursday (December 19). Batting first, Odisha posted an imposing total of 218 for 8, before their bowlers restricted Karnataka to just 131.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Odisha continued their good run of form, registering their fourth 200-plus total in as many matches played in the tournament. Despite losing their in-form openers Basanti Hasda and Manu Purty early, Odisha managed to recover well thanks to the efforts of Phula Soren, who scored a brisk 39 runs off just 27 balls. Varsha U of Karnataka was the best bowler on display. She picked up two wickets.

 

. #OdishaTeam Crowned as CHAMPIONS! 🔥#Odisha are the #Champions of 1️⃣st ever @SamarthanamTFTD #WomenNationalCricketTournamentfortheBlind .

Congratulations team, you did a marvellous job!👏#KarnatakaVSOdisha #itshergametoo #CABD#GAIL@mandhana_smriti @ONGC_@oyorooms pic.twitter.com/jDThbGjBcU

— Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) December 19, 2019

 

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 a 66-run opening partnership. However, following their departures, the team failed to maintain the momentum.

Lina Swain captain of Odisha (B2) and Padmini Tudu (B1) were both named player of the match for their allround efforts. Skipper Lina scored a valuable 33 first up to the rescue her team from an early wobble and then effected two run-outs to cap off a memorable day. On the other hand, Padmini chipped in with 16 useful runs to help Odisha post 218.

“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.

Varsha U (B1) of Karnataka Basanti Hasda (B2) of Odisha and Geeta Mahto skipper of Jhardkahnd  (B3) were awarded the player of the series for their consistent run in the matches.

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