Sher-e-Punjab: 'We can keep the momentum going,' says Abhishek after Soormas edge past Gill's Falcons

Mohali, Sep 8 (IANS) Amritsar Soormas captain Abhishek Sharma has set his sights on winning the Sher-e-Punjab T20 league trophy and hoped the team would continue their winning momentum after guiding his side to their second win of the season against the Fazilka Falcons.

The contest at the I.S. Bindra Stadium carried an added edge with the much-awaited battle between India teammates Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, leading Fazilka and Amritsar, respectively, drawing plenty of attention going in. 

Put into bat, the Falcons rode off 67 off 35 balls from captain Shubman Gill, along with useful contributions from Pranshu Pratap (40 off 33) and Sanvir Singh (40 off 21), to post 191/6 in their 20 overs. Akash Pandey (2/20) and Abhishek Sharma (2/37) were the pick of the Soormas bowlers.

In reply, Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 49 off just 15 balls, adding 79 for the first wicket with Sahaj Dhawan (37), but the chase hit turbulence in the middle overs as Amritsar slipped to 152/5.

In a tense situation, Soormas' promising young talent Rahul Kumar rose to the occasion. Coming together with Reaven Preet Singh at a tense juncture, he kept the required rate in check with calculated strokeplay, and after Reaven fell for 8, he steadied the innings alongside Jashanpreet Singh to see the Soormas home. Kumar finished unbeaten on 53 off 35 balls, an innings that included five fours and two sixes, and was the difference between a nervy finish and a comfortable one.

After the win, Abhishek Sharma said, "Staying on the winning side always feels good, and I'm happy to contribute to the team's success. I hope we can keep this momentum going and continue to receive incredible support from our fans. We'll give our best to win the final and bring home the trophy for them. The boys have been working really hard, and we've got a fantastic squad."

While Rahul Kumar, who played a brilliant knock, said, "Securing back-to-back wins over Fazilka is a big achievement. It is rewarding to see the team win against such a formidable opponent. Our success was due to our ability to take early wickets at the start of the match."

Amritsar Soormas turn around quickly for their next assignment, facing Mohali Kings on Tuesday in what shapes up as a contrast in recent form. With Anmolpreet Singh in form for the Kings, Amritsar's bowlers will look to strike early, much as they did against Fazilka, while their batting unit, buoyed by Rahul Kumar's finishing form, will hope to set or chase with similar composure.

--IANS

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