Thiruvananthapuram: In an exhilarating match on the fifth day of the Kerala Cricket League, Adani Trivandrum Royals clinched a five-wicket triumph against Calicut Globstars. Set a target of 144 runs, the Royals achieved the target with 18.1 overs to spare and five wickets in hand.

The star of the show was Royals’ captain Abdul Basith, who delivered a match-winning performance with an unbeaten 50 off just 22 balls. His explosive innings, which included several boundaries, earned him the Player of the Match award. 

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Calicut Globstars, who batted first, struggled initially and lost their opener and captain, Rohan Kunnummal, without a run on the board. However, a resilient partnership between Salman Nisar and M. Ajinas saw the team through to 75 runs. Nisar’s aggressive knock of 72 runs, including six sixes and two fours, was instrumental in propelling the score to 144 in their allotted 20 overs.

Trivandrum Royals faced an early setback when Vishnu Raj was dismissed in the third ball of the first over. Despite this, Riya Basheer and Govind Pai steadied the innings with a vital 69-run stand. Basheer’s contribution of 38 runs, including five boundaries, and Pai’s 35 runs off 34 balls, set a solid foundation for the chase. 

Abdul Basith’s acceleration in the 13th over, where he scored 26 runs off Nikhil’s over, further boosted the Royals’ chase. The match concluded with MS Akhil striking the winning runs in the 19th over, ensuring a well-deserved victory for Trivandrum Royals.