Big Cricket League: Shikhar Dhawan’s spectacular 86 leads Northern Challengers to victory

The Big Cricket League made a thrilling debut in Surat as the Northern Challengers, led by Shikhar Dhawan, claimed a stunning six-wicket victory over Suresh Raina’s Southern Spartans in a high-octane, high-scoring encounter.

After winning the toss, the Northern Challengers opted to field first, giving the Southern Spartans the chance to bat. The Spartans started steadily, anchored by Solomon Mire, who struck a brisk 47 off 28 balls. Despite the early loss of opener Faiz Fazal for just 9, captain Suresh Raina injected momentum into the innings with a dazzling 49 off 27 balls, ably supported by wicketkeeper-batter Shrestha, who contributed a composed 36 off 33 deliveries.

In the death overs, Aman Khan (29 off 9) and Abhimanyu Mithun (27 off 12) unleashed a barrage of boundaries and sixes, pushing the Spartans to an imposing total of 203/4 in their 20 overs.

The Northern Challengers, facing a daunting target, got off to an explosive start, thanks to their skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Carrying forward his sensational form from the Nepal Premier League, Dhawan smashed a 23-ball half-century, thrilling the crowd with his aggressive stroke play. His fiery knock of 86 off just 43 balls, laced with 8 massive sixes and 4 boundaries, kept the Challengers firmly in control.

Dhawan’s innings was complemented by key contributions from Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who hammered 31 off 14 balls, and Bipul Sharma, who anchored the innings with a steady unbeaten 33 off 19. The Challengers maintained their aggressive approach and successfully chased down the target, finishing at 207/4 with eight balls to spare.

Shikhar Dhawan’s scintillating performance earned him the Player of the Match award, setting the stage for an exhilarating season of the Big Cricket League.