Thane (Maharashtra) [India], February 15 : As the curtains drew on an electrifying second season of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), with Majhi Mumbai eventually clinching the title after pipping Srinagar Ke Veer by three wickets in a nail-biting summit clash at the jam-packed Dadoji Kondadev Stadium here on Saturday, the tournament truly lived up to its billing of a dazzling spectacle of cricketing brilliance, said an official statement.
The capacity crowd was treated to a riveting contest as the match went down to the wire, with fortunes swinging both ways, before Mumbai, the runners-up of the inaugural ISPL season, finally got home with Ankur's gigantic six, as per a press release from ISPL.
Every six smashed, every wicket taken, and every dive on the field echoed the spirit of millions who grew up playing with a tennis ball. Bringing together the raw energy of young guns and the masterful experience of seasoned campaigners, the 20-day tournament was a perfect symphony of edge-of-the-seat thrillers and captivating musical performances.
Endorsed by the God of Cricket -- Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar, member of the ISPL core committee, the tournament has grown from strength to strength, allowing dreamers who once played in the gullies, maidans and streets to find themselves in the spotlight, proving that talent knows no boundaries.
Tendulkar, along with fellow members of the ISPL core committee, including Ashish Shelar, Suraj Samat and Minal Amol Kale, graced the final along with Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar -- the owners of the ISPL, Season 2 finalists -- Majhi Mumbai and Srinagar Ke Veer.
After Mumbai won the toss and opted to field, Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar played a fun Tip-Toe to choose the dugout, with Tendulkar donning the umpire's role. Sr Bachchan also participated in the Mumbai team huddle, while Akshay was seen motivating his players in the Srinagar dugout.
Put into bat, Srinagar rode a power-packed show from the opening pair of Sagar Ali and Akash Tarekar, with the duo putting up the highest first-wicket partnership of 108 runs before losing five wickets in a span of 12 runs to eventually post 120/5 -- the highest total in the ISPL final.
Akash, who has blown hot and cold throughout the tournament, saved his best for the big final, slamming an unbeaten 59 off 32 deliveries, powered by three boundaries and five colossal sixes. Sagar started the onslaught with a six on the opening before Akash announced his arrival and later went on to outscore his partner. Sagar eventually was dismissed in the penultimate over of their innings after scoring a 23-ball 40, laced with four massive sixes, while the rest of the batters succumbed attempting the glory shots. For Mumbai, Abhishek Kumar Dalhor, who already was leading the season's wicket-takers chart, added two more to take his tally to 24.
In response, skipper Vijay Pawle led Majhi Mumbai's recovery after the side lost wickets in heaps, with a responsible innings, and found Birendra as an able ally with the duo milking Dilip Binjwa for 39 runs off the 50-50 Challenge Over to turn things around. Mumbai got off to a perfect start, raising 25 runs off the power play before losing their way to struggle at 64 for 6. Still, Pawle's arrival changed the complexion of the game as the skipper slammed an unbeaten 9-ball 22, powered by three sixes, and Birendra slammed a 6-ball 14, containing a couple of mammoth sixes. With Mumbai needing six off the final over, Ankur missed the first two balls before launching the third over the skies to bring home the cup.
This season of the ISPL was more than just taking cricket from the Street to the Stadium; it was about transforming dreams into reality, proving that the next cricketing hero could emerge from anywhere. The tournament has not only given the tennis ball cricketers the spotlight but also provided them with financial security -- with Majhi Mumbai's star all-rounder Abhishek Kumar Dalhor, emerging the most expensive player of this season after being roped in for a whopping Rs 20.50 lakh.