Indian Cricket League

ICL: Lahore Badshahs beat Ahmedabad Rockets

Lahore Badshahs got the better of Ahmedabad Rockets by a handsome margin of 31 runs in the the ICL 20s Indian Championship at the Sardar Patel Stadium here on Sunday.

Azhar Mahmood, who was captaining the Badshahs side in the absence of their regular skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, won man of the match award primarily for his inspired leadership.

It was Rockets’ captain Damien Martyn won the toss and put Lahore Badshahs into bat. And Badshahs’ openers — the two Imrans — Farhat and Nazir had an eventful first over in which Nazir survived a dropped catch on a naught. But then the duo showed positive aggressive approach, going for a few lusty hits which took their team off to a flier at 28 in the third over.

The Badshahs’ innings folded at 136-9 in their allotted 20 overs.

But the Rockets chase started on the wrong foot with Ryan Campbell getting castled by Sami n the first over itself. And then they followed it up by Martyn’s wicket off Azhar’s bowling, which placed Badshahs firmly in the driver’s seat.

Then the first bowling change in form of Rana Naved got rich dividends for the Badshahs’ as he struck with the first delivery with Murray Goodwin’s wicket to leave a tensed Rockets dugout. Mahmood introduced Saqlain in the eighth over, and he immediately foxed the left-handed Sriram trapping him lbw for 2, to leave the Rockets in deep trouble at 38-4.

Tags: Ahmedabad Rockets, ICL, Lahore Badshahs