Cuttack: Team Odisha pacer Debabrata Pradhan produced a stellar performance in the Kalahandi Cup 2024 final at Barabati Stadium on Friday to help Rest of Odisha ‘C’ emerge champions in the Odisha Cricket Association-organised competition.
Pradhan’s Man-of-the-Match winning all-round performance helped Rest of Odisha ‘C’ pip Bhubaneswar ‘A’ by 7 runs in the title clash.
Asked to bat first on a bowler-friendly pitch, Rest of Odisha ‘C’ were bowled out for 134 in 45.3 overs. Biswabhusan Bihari top-scored with 51 while Pradhan chipped in with a valuable 31, as other batsmen fell prey to the skills of Sambit Baral (6/34).
Bhubaneswar ‘A’ batters found run-scoring even more difficult with right-arm medium-pacer Pradhan registering figures of 19.2-6-47-6. Soubhagya Rout captured the remaining 4 wickets.
Team Odisha batter Sandeep Pattanaik played a lone hand for Bhubaneswar ‘A’, compiling a fighting 68 off 125 deliveries.
The Kalahandi Cup 2024 inter-district tournament started with preliminary round 50-overs-a-side matches among 38 teams from March 17 to April 16. Six teams qualified for the super league and another 4 Rest of Odisha teams were formed.
The 10 teams were divided into 2 groups, which played round-robin league matches in red-ball multi-day format from June 5.
Rest of Odisha ‘C’ and Bhubaneswar ‘A’ topped Groups A and B to qualify for the final.
