Lucknow, Sep 11 (IANS) Two-time champions Kashi Rudras owner Sanjeev Garg said their fourth Uttar Pradesh T20 League campaign was a journey defined by immense team resilience and the promising rise of a new generation of local cricketers, following their fourth consecutive playoff appearance.v
The Yan Consultancy-owned franchise rebounded from a mid-season slump of four consecutive defeats to finish third in the league standings and sealed their playoff berth with a 56-run victory over table-toppers Meerut Mavericks. Their campaign eventually came to an end in a hard-fought Eliminator, where they fell short by just one run to Noida Kings.
“This season once again demonstrated the character and fighting spirit that define Kashi Rudras. The way the team responded after a difficult phase in the league and finished strongly against the table-toppers showed the resilience within this group,” Garg said in a statement on Friday.
The season highlighted several outstanding individual efforts, starting with skipper Karan Sharma, who claimed the Orange Cap as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 361 runs, including a league-high 26 sixes, a 51-ball 102 against Noida Super Kings, and a 92 off 48 balls against Gorakhpur Lions.
On the bowling front, Atal Bihari Rai led the attack with 15 wickets. However, it was the breakthrough of young players that stood out as the major takeaway for the franchise. 19-year-old left-arm spinner Kartik Yadav enjoyed a stellar season with 11 wickets, anchored by a match-winning 3-for-12 spell against Meerut Mavericks. Youngsters Sangam Singh, pacer Rishabh Rajput, and batter Virat Jaiswal also stepped up to showcase the franchise’s squad depth.
“Karan’s Orange Cap-winning campaign and the performances of our experienced players were outstanding, but what excites us equally is the emergence of young talent. Youngsters have shown tremendous promise and have given us a glimpse of what this group can achieve in the years ahead.
“We will take the learnings from this season, continue to back our players and return with the same ambition and determination to bring another championship to Kashi Rudras,” added Garg.
–IANS
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