In a high-scoring and entertaining encounter at Rubislaw, Knight Riders emerged victorious over Aberdeen Grammar by 51 runs, thanks to a commanding century from Madhan Kumar Mohan and a disciplined bowling performance that stifled Grammar’s chase.
Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat first on a sunny afternoon, with conditions favouring stroke play. The innings was anchored by a magnificent knock from Madhan Kumar Mohan, who remained unbeaten on 119 off 120 balls, showcasing a blend of patience and aggression. His innings included 11 fours and 2 sixes, and he paced his innings perfectly, accelerating in the latter stages.
He was well supported by Raja Duraisamy, who scored a fluent 60 off 59 balls, including 5 boundaries and a six. The pair added a crucial 149-run partnership for the second wicket, laying the foundation for a strong total.
Despite a mid-innings wobble where Knight Riders lost 5 wickets for just 60 runs, contributions from the lower order, especially Kiran Balasubramanian (16 off 9) and Gautam Bhatia (5 off 3), helped push the total to a competitive 267/7.
Knight Riders Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Mohan | Not Out | 119 | 120 | 11 | 2 | 99.17 |
| S Kumarasamy | c A Maitra b M Ibrahimikhel | 11 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 84.62 |
| R Duraisamy | b M Nasseri | 60 | 59 | 5 | 1 | 101.69 |
| S Palaniappan*† | c M Nattrass b H Mailari | 23 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 115.00 |
| J Joseph Calins | c & b M Nasseri | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| U Raghavendra | c A Saboor b M Nasseri | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 142.86 |
| N Chaudhari | c M Nasseri b S Quraishi | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| K Balasubramanian | Not Out | 16 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 177.78 |
| MS Kuppathil | b S Quraishi | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| G Bhatia | Not Out | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 166.67 |
| B Varghese | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
Total: 267/7 (40 Overs)
Fall of Wickets: 44, 193, 220, 243, 243, 253, 253
Grammar Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Wides | No Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H Mailari | 8 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Ibrahimikhel | 8 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| A Saboor | 8 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| S Quraishi | 8 | 0 | 47 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| M Nasseri | 8 | 0 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Chasing a daunting target of 268, Aberdeen Grammar got off to a shaky start, losing Syed Ali Shah (0) and Muhammad Usman (0) early, both dismissed cheaply by Kiran Balasubramanian and Bibin Varghese respectively.
However, Michael Nattrass (55 off 80) and Suleman Quraishi (71 off 94) steadied the innings with a 81-run partnership. Nattrass played a composed innings, while Quraishi mixed caution with aggression, hitting 6 boundaries and a six.
The middle order failed to accelerate, and despite a late cameo from Muhammad Nasseri (40 off 39), the required rate kept climbing. Knight Riders’ bowlers maintained discipline, especially Udaya Raghavendra (1/27) and Nikhil Chaudhari (0/25), who bowled tight spells in the middle overs.
Aberdeen Grammar finished on 216/5, falling short by 51 runs.
Aberdeen Grammar Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Nattrass | Run Out | 55 | 80 | 8 | 0 | 68.75 |
| SM Ali Shah | bBalasubramanian | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| M Usman | b B Varghese | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| S Quraishi | Not Out | 71 | 94 | 6 | 1 | 75.53 |
| A Saboor* | c & b Raghavendra | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 58.33 |
| M Nasseri | b G Bhatia | 40 | 39 | 1 | 4 | 102.56 |
| A Maitra | Not Out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| T Navaid | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| I Johnston | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| M Ibrahimikhel | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| H Mailari | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
Total: 216/5 (40 Overs)
Fall of Wickets: 18, 23, 104, 122, 206
Knight Riders Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Wides | No Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K Balasubramanian | 5 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| B Varghese | 8 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| MS Kuppathil | 5 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| U Raghavendra | 7 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| N Chaudhari | 8 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| G Bhatia | 5 | 0 | 59 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| S Kumarasamy | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |