Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) recruit, 21-year-old all-rounder Aneeshwar Gautam, showcased his talent on August 26 by smashing an unbeaten 95 for the Manish Pandey-led Hubli Tigers in the 2024 Maharaja Trophy. Despite being released by RCB without playing a single IPL game, Gautam delivered a stellar performance against the Mangalore Dragons at RCB’s home ground, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Gautam and Shrijith Shine with Fifties
Mangalore Dragons skipper Shreyas Gopal won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Tigers faced early setbacks as opener Karthikeya KP was dismissed for a single-digit score by Gopal, and Abhilash Shetty sent Mohammad Taha back for a golden duck. Gautam, however, launched his innings with a six in the sixth over and reached his fifty off 32 balls, striking Dheeraj J Gowda for three fours and a six in the same over.
At the other end, Krishnan Shrijith also went on the offensive, reaching his half-century in 36 balls with a six. Shrijith eventually fell to Advith Shetty for a well-made 77 off 44 balls in the 16th over. Gautam, who hit just one six in the last three overs, narrowly missed out on a century. Meanwhile, Pandey added crucial runs with two sixes and a four in the penultimate over. Gautam’s unbeaten 58-ball 95, featuring eight fours and five sixes, helped the Tigers post a formidable total of 209/3.
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Dragons Fall Short
In response, the Dragons struggled under the scoreboard pressure. Nischith Pai and Rishi Bopanna each claimed three wickets, as the Dragons were bowled out for 167 with four balls remaining, handing the Tigers a 42-run victory. For the Dragons, Krishnamurthy Siddharth, Lochan Gowda, and captain Gopal managed to score in the 30s, but it wasn’t enough. This win marked the Tigers’ sixth victory of the season, securing their spot in the semifinals, while the Dragons were eliminated after suffering their sixth defeat of the tournament.
Gautam’s Maharaja T20 Trophy Stats
This was Gautam’s first half-century of the season, with his previous performances totaling 185 runs from six innings at an impressive average of 61.67 and a strike rate of 150.41. The former Under-19 World Cup 2022-winning team member will be in action again when the Tigers take on the Mysore Warriors on August 27.