Southern Spartans produced one of the most dominant performances of the Big Cricket League 2026 season as they thrashed MP Tigers by 10 wickets at the Greater Noida Sports Complex on Friday. Chasing a target of 158, Southern Spartans made a mockery of the pursuit and raced home in just 14 overs without losing a wicket.
The victory was powered by a sensational opening partnership between Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan, who completely dismantled the MP Tigers bowling attack. Earlier in the match, MP Tigers posted a competitive 157/4 after useful contributions from Rahul Yadav, Pawan Negi and Diwesh Pathania, but it proved to be nowhere near enough against a ruthless Southern Spartans batting display.
Rahul Yadav's fifty helps MP Tigers post 157/4
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, MP Tigers suffered an early setback when Tillakaratne Dilshan was dismissed for a duck in the opening over by Ankit Rajpoot. Babar Ali and Rahul Yadav then steadied the innings before Ishwar Pandey removed Babar for 14.
Rahul Yadav held the innings together with a well-compiled half-century. The right-hander scored 51 runs off 44 balls and struck seven boundaries during his stay at the crease. He also shared a valuable partnership with Dilshan Munaweera, who contributed 19 runs from 19 deliveries.
MP Tigers accelerated towards the end thanks to an unbeaten partnership between Pawan Negi and Diwesh Pathania. Negi remained not out on 31 off 23 balls, while Pathania smashed 32 off just 18 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes. Their late charge helped MP Tigers reach 157/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
For Southern Spartans, Narendra Meena was the standout bowler with figures of 2/15 in four overs. Ankit Rajpoot and Ishwar Pandey picked up one wicket each.
Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan destroy MP Tigers in record chase
If MP Tigers felt they had posted a competitive total, Southern Spartans quickly proved otherwise. Openers Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan came out with attacking intent and immediately put the bowlers under pressure.
The duo brought up their fifty partnership in just 19 balls and continued to score at an extraordinary rate. Southern Spartans reached 83 without loss inside the powerplay, effectively taking the game away from MP Tigers before the halfway stage of the chase.
Singhal was the chief aggressor and played one of the finest knocks of the tournament. He blasted an unbeaten 97 off only 48 balls, smashing eight fours and eight sixes. The opener narrowly missed out on a deserved century but ensured there were no hiccups in the chase.
At the other end, Asad Pathan matched his partner's intensity and remained unbeaten on 61 from 36 balls. His innings included six fours and four sixes as the pair completed a remarkable, unbeaten 160-run opening stand.
MP Tigers bowlers left searching for answers
The MP Tigers bowling attack endured a difficult evening as none of the bowlers managed to make a breakthrough. Every bowling option used by the side was taken apart by the Southern Spartans openers.
Manpreet Gony conceded 34 runs in three overs, while Pawan Negi went for 40 runs from his three-over spell. Chander Kant and Ankit Stephen also struggled to contain the scoring as Southern Spartans maintained a run rate in excess of 11 runs per over throughout the chase.
The winning runs arrived in the 14th over as Southern Spartans finished on 160/0, sealing a commanding 10-wicket victory with six overs to spare.
The result was one of the most one-sided matches of the season so far, with Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan stealing the show through a breathtaking unbeaten partnership that left MP Tigers with no way back into the contest.
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