Lucknow: Odisha pulled off a thrilling four-wicket win with just a ball to spare in their opening Elite Group A Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 meet match against Goa here on Thursday.
Odisha skipper Rajesh Dhuper won the toss and invited Goa to bat first.
The Goa batsmen struggled against Odisha spinners Jayanta Behera and Bikash Rout, managing a paltry 104 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Veteran left-arm spinner Behera bagged 3/14 in 4 overs, while debutant leggie Rout captures 3/27 in his 4 overs.
Odisha lost two early wickets before the innings was steadied by Bhubaneswar-born Hong Kong team opener Anshuman Rath (29) and experienced Govinda Poddar (24). They ultimately survived some anxious moments before getting past the target in 19.5 overs.
Odisha will face Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Puducherry in their ensuing group-stage matches.
Scores: Goa 104/8 in 20 overs. Odisha 107/6 in 19.5 overs.
Result: Odisha won by 4 wkts.
