Vivek Shelar's hat-trick power Tiigers of Kolkata to qualifiers 2 of ISPL season 3; beat Majhi Mumbai by 44 runs

Surat (Gujarat) [India], February 4 (ANI): In a high-stakes Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) Season 3 Eliminator clash on Wednesday, the Tiigers of Kolkata delivered a clinical all-round performance to dismantle Majhi Mumbai by 44 runs and book their place in Qualifier 2 against the Ahmedabad Lions at Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, according to a release.
Asked to bat first, the Tiigers laid the foundation through Saroj Paramanik, who struck a brisk 28 off 20 balls before becoming the only wicket to fall, dismissed by Mohammad Zeeshan.
From there, Rajat Mundhe and Krushna Gawali took complete control, stitching an unbeaten partnership that left the Majhi Mumbai attack without answers. Mundhe anchored the innings with a composed 34 not out off 24 deliveries, while Gawali provided the finishing punch with an explosive 42 not out off just 19 balls, lifting the Tiigers to a commanding 124/1 in their allotted 10 overs.
Majhi Mumbai conceded 13 extras, compounding their struggles with the ball. Zeeshan was the only wicket-taker for Mumbai in the must-win encounter despite conceding 33 runs in his two overs.
In the big run chase, Arish Khan struck early blows in the powerplay to remove key batters Jignesh Rajput and Kabir Singh, finishing with excellent figures of 3/6. The decisive moment came in the sixth over when Vivek Shelar produced a match-turning hat-trick, dismissing Thomas Dias, Bunty Patel and Vijay Pawle on consecutive deliveries to shatter any hopes of a comeback.
Abhishek Dalhor stood out in an otherwise dismal chase, hammering a blazing 43 off 17 balls, but received little support as five Majhi Mumbai batters fell for ducks. Saroj Paramanik returned to claim two wickets, including Dalhor's in the ninth over, as Majhi Mumbai were bowled out for 80 in 9.3 overs, sealing a comprehensive 44-run victory for the Tiigers.
Tiigers of Kolkata will take on Ahmedabad Lions in Qualifier 2 on Thursday. The season will conclude on Friday with the Grand Finale, played between Chennai Singams and the winner of Qualifier 2.
All playoff matches will begin at 7 PM, with live coverage on Star Sports Khel and streaming on JioHotstar. Tickets are available online on BookMyShow.
Brief Scores: Tiigers of Kolkata 124/1 in 10 overs (Krushna Gawali 42*, Rajat Mundhe 34*; Mohammad Zeeshan 1/35) bt Majhi Mumbai 80/10 in 9.3 overs (Abhishek Dalhor 43, Thomas Dias 16; Arish Khan 3/6, Vivek Shelar 3/7) by 44 runs. (ANI)