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Southern Spartans produced one of the most impressive performances of the Big Cricket League 2026 season as they defeated MP Tigers by 10 wickets at the Greater Noida Sports Complex on Friday. Chasing the target of 158 runs, Southern Spartans made a mockery of the target and achieved the target in just 14 overs without losing any wicket.
The win was driven by a sensational opening partnership between Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan, which completely demolished the MP Tigers bowling attack. Earlier in the match, MP Tigers posted a competitive score of 157/4 after useful contributions from Rahul Yadav, Pawan Negi and Divesh Pathania, but it proved nowhere near enough against a ferocious batting performance from the Southern Spartans.
MP Tigers scored 157/4 with Rahul Yadav’s half-century.
MP Tigers, who came to bat first after winning the toss, got the initial blow when Tillakaratne Dilshan was out for zero on the ball of Ankit Rajput in the opening over. After this, Babar Ali and Rahul Yadav took the innings forward, but Ishwar Pandey dismissed Babar for 14 runs.
Rahul Yadav took over the innings by playing a good half-century. The right-handed batsman scored 51 runs in 44 balls and hit seven fours during his stay at the crease. He also formed a valuable partnership with Dilshan Munaweera, who contributed 19 runs in 19 balls.
MP Tigers gained momentum till the end thanks to the unbeaten partnership between Pawan Negi and Divesh Pathania. Negi remained unbeaten on 31 off 23 balls, while Pathania scored 32 runs in just 18 balls, which included two fours and two sixes. Their late charge helped MP Tigers reach 157/4 in the allotted 20 overs.
For Southern Spartans, Narendra Meena was the standout bowler with figures of 2/15 in four overs. Ankit Rajput and Ishwar Pandey took one wicket each.
Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan destroy MP Tigers in record chase
If MP Tigers thought they had posted a competitive total, Southern Spartans quickly proved otherwise. Openers Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan came out with aggressive intentions and immediately put pressure on the bowlers.
The duo completed their half-century partnership in just 19 balls and continued to score runs at an extraordinary pace. Southern Spartans reached 83 without loss inside the powerplay, effectively taking the game away from MP Tigers before the halfway stage of the chase.
Singhal was the main aggressor and played one of the finest innings of the tournament. He scored unbeaten 97 runs with the help of eight fours and eight sixes in just 48 balls. The opener missed out on scoring a century but ensured that there was no problem in chasing the target.
At the other end, Asad Pathan matched his partner’s intensity and remained unbeaten on 61 off 36 balls. Their innings contained six fours and four sixes and the pair completed a remarkable, unbeaten opening partnership of 160 runs.
MP Tigers bowlers kept searching for answers
MP Tigers’ bowling attack faced a tough evening as none of the bowlers managed to achieve success. Every bowling option used by the team was taken apart by the Southern Spartans opening batsmen.
Manpreet Gony gave 34 runs in three overs, while Pawan Negi gave 40 runs in his three over spell. Chander Kant and Ankit Stephen also struggled to contain the scoring as Southern Spartans maintained a run rate of over 11 runs per over throughout the chase.
The winning run came in the 14th over as Southern Spartans finished at 160/0 and won by 10 wickets with six overs to spare.
The result was one of the most one-sided matches of the season so far, with Abhishek Singhal and Asad Pathan stealing the show through a breathtaking unbeaten partnership, leaving MP Tigers with no way back into the contest.