Cemtac Stars shine bright as champions in Byju’s Akash JKPL

Srinagar: The spirited crowd at Kashmir University’s stadium was treated to an electrifying showdown on Monday as the second edition of the Byju’s Jammu and Kashmir Premier League (JKPL) reached its grand finale. In a fiercely contested match, the Cemtac Stars emerged victorious, edging out their formidable opponents, the Royal Goodwill Cricket Club, by a mere 8 runs.

The highly anticipated final kicked off at 11:30 in the morning, with fans filling every nook and cranny of the stadium.

After winning the toss, the Royal Goodwill Cricket Club opted to bowl first, and the Cemtac Stars put up a commendable total of 192 runs for the loss of five wickets. Captain Ishtiya Rasool and Aqib Mir from the Royal Goodwill Cricket Club managed to claim two wickets each, but the standout performance of the day was by Jatin Wadwan, who scored an impressive 98 runs without losing his wicket.

Chasing the target of 193 runs, the Royal Goodwill Cricket Club faced early setbacks as Omar Aalam, the Captain of Cemtac Stars, took the crucial wicket of Ishtiyaq Rasool in the very first over of the innings.

However, the Royal Goodwill Cricket Club’s hopes were dampened as their star cricketer and in-form batsman, Adil Reshi, suffered a serious injury during the match and could only face two balls before retiring hurt.

Despite the valiant effort of Kaif Ahmad from the Royal Goodwill Cricket Club, who scored 62 runs off 40 balls, the team fell short of their target, ultimately losing the match. Arun Chaprana from Cemtac Stars played a pivotal role, contributing significantly with both bat and ball, taking four crucial wickets, including that of Adil Reshi.

Jatin Wadwan’s outstanding performance earned him the “Man of the Match” award for his exceptional contributions.

In the post-match ceremony, several dignitaries, including the Chief guest, chairman of Aryans Group of Colleges Dr Anshu Kataria, SP Hazratbal Mashkoor. Dr Nisar Ahmad, Registrar of the University of Kashmir SDPO Hazratbal Showkat Shaib, SHO Nigeen Javed Ahmad, and SHO Zakura Arif Ahmed, commended both the winning team and the runners-up for their outstanding efforts.

The event organisers also expressed their gratitude towards the groundskeepers, umpires, commentators, chief guests, media partners, and sponsors for their invaluable contributions to the success of the tournament. Sponsors, including Spectrum, Space Communication, Khaadi, Jaipuria, Red FM 98.3, INS, Aryans, Cemtac Cements, Kashmir Uzma, Max Cements, Pepsi, Glass Experts, Sparsh, KIS, and Kanwal, played a pivotal role in supporting the league.

As a token of appreciation, certificates were presented to the sponsors and other contributors. The runner-up team received a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 3.5 lakhs, while the champions, Cemtac Stars, were awarded a trophy, along with a cash prize of Rs 6 lakhs.

Individual achievements were also celebrated, with Ahmad Omar Banday earning the title of “Best Batsman” and receiving a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5000. Musaib Ahmad from the Valley Fresh team emerged as the “Best Bowler” of the tournament, securing a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5000. Adil Kachru was honoured as the “Man of the Series” during the event, receiving a cash prize of Rs 50,000 alongside a trophy.

The exciting conclusion of the JKPL left cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the next edition of the tournament, which continues to foster and showcase cricketing talent in the region.