Sharjah : The Yogi Group emerged as the champions of the 23rd Sharjah Ramadan cricket tournament through a spectacular four-wicket win over the Lanka Lions at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Speaking to Gulf News after the victory, Shiva Pagarani, the captain of the Yogi Group team, said: "It is great feeling to have our team's name among the list of winners of this prestigious tournament. For our team it is a dream come true as we were all keen to win this tournament," he said.
Yogi Group is also in the final of the second Al Dhaid Ramadan T-20 Tournament for the Conmix Cup, also organised by the Sharjah Cricket Council and it will be grand double for the team if they emerge champions in this tournament too.
The star of Yogi Group's win over Lanka Lions was their hard hitter Shaiman Butt, who cracked a fighting 50 off 42 balls.
Strong team
"It was a great effort by our bowlers to restrict such a strong team like Lanka Lions for 139 for 5. The team owes it success to the allround efforts of my players.
"On the way to finals we have beaten some of the best sides in domestic cricket like Fly Emirates in the quarter finals and Abu Dhabi Gymkhana in the semifinals," said Pagarani. Electing to bat, Lanka Lions found the runs hard to come by. Mohammad Aslam top-scored with 30 runs off 42 balls. Yogi Group bowlers Kamran Shehzad, Razeq Khan and Ambey bowled a tight line and length to strike repeatedly. Chasing 139 for 5, Shaiman and former Mumbai Ranji Trophy player Swapnil Patil (33 runs off 39 balls) went about the task beautifully.
UAE middle order batsman Naeemuddin Aslam too chipped in with a valuable 21 runs.
Aruna Bandaranayake tried his best to bowl his team to victory bagging three wickets for 17 runs but in vain.
Yogi Group bt Lanka Lions SC by 4 wickets: Lanka Lions 139 for 5 in 25 overs (Mohammad Aslam 30) Yogi Group 140 for 6 in 24.1 overs (Shaiman Butt 50, Swapnil Patil 33, Naeemuddin Aslam 21; Aruna Bandaranayake 3-17). Man of the match: Shaiman Butt.
Individual awards: Man of the final: Shaiman Butt of Yogi Group,
Best Batsman: Mohammad Asif of Seven Seas Strikers, Best Bowler: Mohammad Rana Kashif Khan of Seven Seas Strikers, Player of the Tournament: Jagrit Anand of Interface Transworld.
Brief scores
Yogi Group bt Lanka Lions SC by 4 wickets: Lanka Lions 139 for 5 in 25 overs (Mohammad Aslam 30) Yogi Group 140 for 6 in 24.1 overs (Shaiman Butt 50, Swapnil Patil 33, Naeemuddin Aslam 21; Aruna Bandaranayake 3-17).
Man of the match: Shaiman Butt.
Individual awards: Man of the final: Shaiman Butt of Yogi Group,
Best Batsman: Mohammad Asif of Seven Seas Strikers, Best Bowler: Mohammad Rana Kashif Khan of Seven Seas Strikers
