T20 Mumbai League: Attarde claims 4-33 to keep Aakash Tigers in the hunt

Shashank Attarde with his Player of the Match award on Tuesday. Pic/G Krishnan

Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs (ATMWS) crushed Shreyas Iyer's SoBo Mumbai Falcons (SMF) by 66 runs at Wankhede on Tuesday to keep alive their semi-final hopes.

ATMWS have six points and completed their league engagements. SMF have four. Currently third in the points table, ATMWS's win improved their net run rate to +0.520 and their entry to the last four will be determined after Wednesday's results. To qualify, SMF must beat North Mumbai Panthers on Wednesday afternoon and await the result between Arcs Andheri and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals in the evening.

Batting first, ATMWS posted 227/6, nine runs less than the highest total ever. SMF began their run chase aggressively, smashing 48 runs in three overs courtesy of Ishan Mulchandani. The right-handed opener hit a 15-ball 40 (1x4, 5x6) before off-spinner Shashank Attarde dismissed him in the fourth over. SMF lost momentum and were bowled out for 161.

Attarde restricted SMF brilliantly, finishing with 4-33. His victim included India's new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer (10), caught at deep mid-wicket a ball after he was deposited for a six in the same region. Attarde said: "I guessed he would go for it again, so I altered the line and he would get less elevation. Happy to have dismissed him early."

The 34-year-old was well supported by left-arm spinner Vinayak Bhoir (0-25) and the seasoned Shams Mulani (3-47), who dismissed opener Aditya Tare early before polishing off the lower order.

Attarde added: "We had a big total to defend. The opposition batters are also good and we knew they were going to charge the bowlers. We used the help from the pitch to dismiss them. The idea was to bowl them out early so our net run rate is boosted for qualification purposes."

Earlier, ATMWS chose to bat and attacked immediately through openers Jay Bista and captain Sarfaraz Khan. Bista capitalised on the field restrictions, helping ATMWS to 89-1 in the Power Play - just four runs short of the league record. Sarfaraz fell for 31 (10b, 6x4, 1x6) in the fourth over, but Bista continued his onslaught, scoring 57 (27b, 8x4, 2x6) before being caught in the deep.

The run rate dipped post-Powerplay due to tight spells from SMF leg-spinner Vedant Gore (1-37) and off-spinner Mayuresh Tandel (1-9). However, ATMWS continued bravely in the energy-sapping conditions through a 97-run fourth-wicket partnership between Varun Lavande (35 off 32 balls; 1x4, 3x6) and Ajit Yadav. After Lavande was retired out, Yadav continued his onslaught to remain unbeaten on 68 off 35 balls (5x4, 4x6), his second successive fifty, while also helping ATMWS to add 68 runs in the final five overs.