Ranga Reddy Risers Beat Medak Falcons by 5 Wickets in TG20 Thriller

Captain Tanay Thyagarajan delivered a match winning all round performance as Ranga Reddy Risers registered a convincing five wicket victory over Medak Falcons in the HCA Sreenidhi University TG20 Tournament on Tuesday.

Thyagarajan first played a pivotal role with the ball, claiming 3 for 36 , before chipping in with a brisk cameo during the chase to help the Risers overhaul a competitive target of 165 with 10 balls to spare .

After being asked to bat, Medak Falcons made a promising start through Purnanand Rao , who struck an enterprising 38 and looked set for a bigger score. However, Thyagarajan provided the early breakthrough by dismissing opener Shrunjith Reddy , ensuring the Falcons could never fully seize control.

The Falcons suffered periodic setbacks despite their positive intent. While wickets kept falling at one end, Vikram Naik and Naman Agarwal stitched together a valuable 76 run partnership that revived the innings. Naman contributed a fluent 37 off 30 deliveries, while Vikram top scored with 49.

Just when the Falcons appeared poised for a strong finish, Thyagarajan returned to break the crucial stand and trigger a collapse. The middle and lower order failed to capitalise on the platform, and Medak eventually settled for 164 for 8 from their 20 overs.

The Risers began their chase aggressively as Aaron George and Avanish Rao attacked from the outset. Aaron smashed a quickfire 27 off 13 balls before Falcons skipper Teja struck to end the opening stand.

Avanish continued the momentum, but the contest swung dramatically in the Falcons' favour when Varun Yerram produced a superb over, removing both Avanish and Aditya Javvaji to leave the Risers wobbling at 66 for 3 .

Sensing an opportunity, the Falcons tightened the screws and slowed the scoring rate. With the chase threatening to drift away, Thyagarajan responded with a counterattacking knock of 21 from just 11 balls , striking boundaries and a six to restore momentum.

Although Ahwinan Ram dismissed the Risers skipper at a crucial stage, reducing the side to 117 for 5 , the Falcons could not finish the job.

The unbeaten pair of Nanavath Rakesh and Nitin Sai Yadav displayed remarkable composure under pressure. With 48 runs still needed from the final seven overs, the duo rotated strike intelligently and punished loose deliveries to gradually tilt the match back in the Risers' favour.

Rakesh remained unbeaten on 37 off 33 balls , while Nitin produced a vital 28 not out from 19 deliveries . The latter fittingly completed the chase in style, launching a towering six in the 19th over to seal a memorable victory for the Risers.

The result underlined the Risers' resilience and highlighted Thyagarajan's influence, with the captain making decisive contributions in both departments to emerge as the standout performer of the contest.