~ Afridi, Saumy led bowling charts with three wickets each as Gwalior Cheetahs bowl out Malwa Stallions for 139 ~
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, June 7: The JKC Sports-owned Gwalior Cheetahs continued their strong start in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 51-run victory over Malwa Stallions at the Daly College Ground in Indore on Saturday.
Batting first, Gwalior Cheetahs posted 190/7 in their 20 overs, recovering brilliantly after a challenging start. The Cheetahs found themselves at 41/3 inside the first five overs after the early dismissals of Kartik Parihar, Saumy Pandey and Kuldeep Gehi.
With the innings in need of rebuilding, captain Rajat Patidar once again led from the front. The right-hander counterattacked in trademark fashion, scoring a fluent 65 off just 30 deliveries, including six fours and four sixes. Patidar first added 44 runs with Parth Chaudhary before combining with Arpit Patel for a crucial 49-run stand that shifted the momentum firmly in Gwalior’s favour.
Chaudhary anchored the innings with 38 off 34 balls, while Mangesh Yadav provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 33 off 17 deliveries. The late flourish helped the Cheetahs finish with a competitive total of 190/7.
In reply, Malwa Stallions made a positive start to the chase and remained in contention at 92/3 before the Gwalior Cheetahs bowling unit came together brilliantly to seize control of the contest.
Ishan Afridi struck at key moments to remove Parth Sahani, Akhil Nigote Yadav and Rishabh Chauhan, finishing with figures of 3/23. Saumy Pandey matched that effort with 3/28, while Akash Raghuwanshi (2/18) and Mangesh Yadav (2/21) chipped in with two wickets apiece as the bowlers combined effectively to put the brakes on the chase.
The sustained pressure from the bowling unit triggered a collapse as Malwa Stallions lost their final seven wickets for just 47 runs and were eventually bowled out for 139 in 17.1 overs, sealing a commanding win for the Gwalior Cheetahs.
With the victory, Gwalior Cheetahs moved up to second place in the points table and now move focus on facing Chambal Ghariyals on June 11 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
About Gwalior Cheetahs
JKC Sports-owned Gwalior Cheetahs are a franchise in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL). Representing the historic city of Gwalior, the team has established itself as one of the league’s most competitive sides, narrowly missing out on a place in the final in each of the last two seasons. Led by Rajat Patidar, the Gwalior Cheetahs continue to build on their strong performances while striving for success and contributing to the growth of cricket in Madhya Pradesh.
