Cuttack: All eyes in Cuttack were on the sky on Friday as organisers, players and fans kept fingers crossed, praying for a rain-free evening to ensure a cracking finale in the inaugural Odisha Pro T20 League (OPTL) 2025.
Their prayers were partially answered, with the weathergods allowing just enough time to complete a heavily-curtailed final.
Cuttack Panthers were crowned champions after prevailing over Sambalpur Warriors by 5 runs via DLS Method.
Heavy showers delayed the start of the final, which was reduced to 10 overs a side.
Asked to bat first, Cuttack Panthers reached 92/5 in 8.4 overs when the skies opened up again to force another interruption. The game was then further curtailed to 5 overs per side.
Set a revised target of 62 runs under DLS, Sambalpur Warriors managed 56/5 in 5 overs.
Cuttack Panthers were well served by the consistent Biplab Samantray, who hit a quickfire 23 off just 8 deliveries, and Subham Satrujit (25 not out off 15 balls). Cuttack’s best bowlers were Raaz Yadav (3/19) and Harshit Rathod (2/13).
For Sambalpur, opener Adithya Rout top-scored with an unbeaten 36.
Cuttack skipper Swastik Samal credited the entire team for the ‘huge win’.
“Because of their effort, their determination and the way they played, they deserve all the praise. I give full credit to the whole team, whether they got the chance to play or not. This belongs to every single member. It’s truly because of them that today we lifted the trophy,” said Samal.
In the semifinals on Thursday, Cuttack defeated Puri Titans by 24 runs, while Sambalpur Warriors were declared winners after their match against Bhubaneswar Tigers was abandoned due to rain and wet outfield. Sambalpur had finished higher in the league stage (2nd with 14 points) than Bhubaneswar (3rd with 12 points).