Sher-E-Punjab T20: Amritsar Soormas storm into the final with a 7-wicket win over Mohali Kings

Mohali: Amritsar Soormas marched into the final of the inaugural Sher-E-Punjab T20 League after registering a commanding seven-wicket win over Mohali Kings at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Saturday.

The Soormas produced a strong all-round performance, with their bowlers restricting Mohali Kings to 169/7 before Naman Dhir took charge with the bat. His aggressive knock helped Amritsar chase down the target comfortably and book their place in the title clash.

Batting first, Mohali Kings were restricted to 169/7 in their 20 overs. Amritsar’s bowlers kept things under control, especially during the later stages of the innings, preventing the Kings from finishing with a bigger total.

Mohali lost a few early wickets before Anmolpreet Singh and Ramandeep Singh came together to steady the innings. The two added 55 runs for the fourth wicket, giving the Kings a much-needed platform.

Ramandeep was eventually dismissed for 42 off 28 balls, while Anmolpreet followed soon after, scoring 43 off 26 balls.

With Mohali needing another strong partnership, Harpreet Brar and Sohraab Dhaliwal joined hands and added 54 runs for the sixth wicket. Dhaliwal scored a quick 26 off 13 balls before being dismissed, while Brar stayed unbeaten on 33 off 27 balls.

For Amritsar, Jaipratap was the most successful bowler, picking up three wickets, although he conceded 45 runs in his four overs. Akash Pandey also chipped in with two wickets for 33 runs in his four overs at the I.S. Bindra Stadium, which has hosted international matches in the past.

Shubham Rana impressed with an economical spell, conceding just 21 runs from his three overs and helping keep the scoring under control.

In the chase, Amritsar suffered an early setback as Sahaj Dhawan and Jashanpreet Singh were dismissed with only seven runs on the board. With the Soormas under early pressure, Naman Dhir and Abhay Choudhary took charge and began rebuilding the innings.

Naman, in particular, took the attack to the Mohali bowlers. The right-hander found the boundary regularly and completely changed the momentum of the chase.

His most damaging over came against Harshdeep Singh, when Naman smashed 30 runs, including five sixes, to put Amritsar firmly in control.

Naman continued his attacking approach but was eventually dismissed after being trapped in front by Manpreet Singh. He made a brilliant 91 off just 37 balls, leaving Amritsar within touching distance of victory.

With the pressure eased, Abhay Choudhary and Rahul Kumar finished the job for the Soormas. The duo added an unbeaten 59-run partnership for the fourth wicket to ensure there were no further setbacks.

Abhay remained unbeaten on 48 off 38 balls, while Rahul contributed 26 not out off 16 balls as Amritsar completed a comfortable seven-wicket victory.

IANS