All-round Arshin stars in Nashik’s one-run win over Pune at Shriram Capital Maharashtra Premier League (MPL)

Pune, June 19, 2023: It was Arshin Kulkarni’s evening.

It is an incredible achievement to score a century in any format of the game, especially in T20. But to defend six runs off the last over in T20 is equally incredible. Arshin Kulkarni did just that.

The Maharashtra U-19 player, who plays for Cadence Academy in Pune, smashed a sensational hundred 117 (54b, 3x4s, 13x6s) and took (4 for 21 in 4 overs) as Eagle Nashik Titans defeated Puneri Bappa by just 1 run in Shriram Capital Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) in a thrilling contest at the MCA International Stadium in Gahunje on Monday night.

This is Nashik’s third win on the bounce which takes them to 6 points and a step closer to the qualification for play-offs.

However, after conceding 200 runs, Puneri Bappa almost ruined Kulkarni’s night with a team effort from their entire batting line-up. Pawan Shah 30 (16b, 5x4s, 1×6) and Yash Kshirsagar 47 (27b, 3x4s, 3x6s) put in a brisk 36 for the opening wicket. After Shah’s dismissal, Rohan Damle 33 (22b, 2x4s. 2x6s) kept the scoreboard ticking.

Pune skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who usually opens the innings, has decided to play a finisher’s role for his side and came into bat at No. 6 with 120 on the board. He almost pulled off a heist, just like his Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni, with 50 off just 23 balls with three fours and three sixes each.

He was cleaned up by Samadhan Pagare on the first ball of the 19th over with just 16 required off 11 balls. But as it happens so often in the game of cricket, the great uncertainty of the game kicked in to swing the game in Nashik’s favour.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Nashik had a quiet start. Harshad Khadiwale (3 off 7) was dropped on nought on the third ball of the innings. But he was soon run out, trying to steal a single. But that was a calm before storm.

After the fall of his opening partner, Kulkarni launched a scathing attack on Puneri Bappa’s bowling. In the fifth over of the match, he clubbed left-arm spinner Shubham Kothari for 21 runs with three sixes.

Once he gained the momentum, he never took his foot off the pedal, bringing up his fifty in just 24 balls. Such was his onslaught, skipper Rahul Tripathi 41 (28b, 2x4s, 2x6s) opted to play the second fiddle.

The 9th over of the innings bowled by the left-arm spinner proved a crucial one. Kulkarni was dropped by Pawan Shah on the third ball, which ended up being a six. Kulkarni moved to 78. Then to add insult to injury, he smoked three more sixes to move to 96.

He completed his century in just 46 balls with a single off Aditya Daware. He was finally caught by Yash Kshirsagar off Kothari’s bowling. This was the second century of this MPL after Maharashtra Ranji captain Ankit Bawne scored 105* against Ratnagiri Jets a couple of days earlier.

Once Rahul Tripathi fell in the 16th over, with 168 on board, Nashik’s innings tumbled. Pacer Piyush Salvi gave away just one run in the 19th over and scalped three wickets and it also had a run-out, as Titans somehow crossed the 200-run mark, after it looked like they will get far more.

Brief scores: Eagle Nashik Titans: 203 for 9 in 20 overs (Arshin Kulkarni 117, Rahul Tripathi 41; Piyush Salvi 3-29, Rohan Damle 2-44) bt Puneri Bappa: 202 for 8 in 20 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 50, Yash Kshirsagar 47, Arshin Kulkarni 4-21, Prashant Solanki 2-43) by one run.