Lucknow: In the most thrilling match of the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 meet, Odisha players kept their nerve to squeeze out a 1-run win against Railways on Thursday evening.
Young Soumya Lenka’s all-round show helped Odisha record their second successive victory after three defeats in Elite Group A. It was Odisha’s smallest margin of victory in T20s, beating their 4-run win over Jharkhand, according to Cricinfo.
Soumya, the 22-year-old from Rourkela who made his senior debut in this very tournament, first dazzled with the bat to lift Odisha to a competitive 168/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Stepping out to bat at No. 6 with Odisha reeling at 38/4 in the seventh over, Soumya blasted 6 sixes and 3 fours to remain unbeaten on a 40-ball 75.
Soumya was well supported by another youngster Aashirwad Swain, who steadied the ship with a mature, run-a-ball 48. It was Soumya and Aashirwad’s 105-run partnership for the fifth wicket — Odisha’s highest in T20 cricket — that derailed Railways bowlers after an encouraging start.
Chasing 170, Railways also made a stuttering start and limped to 37/3 in the sixth over as medium-pacers Rajesh Mohanty, Vageesh Sharma and Soumya struck early. Akshat Pandey’s knock (60 off 34 balls, 5×4, 4×6) then led a fightback to keep Railways in the hunt.
Entrusted with the responsibility of bowling the last over with Railways needing 10 runs, Soumya dismissed 2 batters off successive balls. Biplab Samantray then ran out Raj Choudhary off the last ball to script a famous win for Odisha.
BRIEF SCORES
Odisha 169/5 in 20 overs (Soumya Lenka 75 not out, Aashirwad Swain 48; Kunal Yadav 2/36).
Railways 168 in 20 overs (Akshat Pandey 60, Suraj Ahuja 39; Soumya Lenka 3/50, Rajesh Mohanty 2/22, Prayash Singh 2/29).
Result: Odisha won by 1 run.
Player of the Match: Soumya Lenka (75*, 3/50).
Group A standings: Odisha 7th (8 points from 5 games, NRR -1.179), Railways 4th (8 pts from 5, NRR -.071).
