Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 7 (ANI): Shams Mulani-led Aakash Tigers MWS rode a power-packed batting performance to pip Prithvi Shaw's North Mumbai Panthers by 22 runs in a rain-hit T20 Mumbai League 2025 Season 3 contest at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday. With heavy rain forcing a delayed start, the match was reduced to five overs a side.

Chasing a challenging target of 67 runs on a pitch that was offering quite a fair bit of movement, the Panthers were off to a cautious start. With only 10 runs coming off the first two overs, Panthers openers Shaw and Divyaansh Saxena tried to force the pace but were pegged back by some incisive bowling and the slow outfield, according to the T20 Mumbai League press release.

With the pressure building up, a visibility frustrated Shaw tried to smash a Sylvester DSouza over long off but was outfoxed by the lack of pace and only managed to offer an easy skier to his opposite number Shams Mulani. As Shaw trudged off the field, the Panthers' hopes of an unlikely win seemed to depart along with him, with the chase coming to a tame end at 45/2.

Earlier, asked to bat first, the Tigers successfully maintained a high scoring rate despite being hampered by the loss of wickets at regular intervals. However, the in-form duo of Mulani (12) and Arjun Dani (10) took the Tigers to 66/7.

The rain gods played spoilsport with Saturday's opening game as the much-anticipated clash between Bandra Blasters led by Team India star Suryakumar Yadav and Triumphs Knights MNE was washed out due to a torrential downpour. The large number of cricket fans at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai were left disappointed as the match had shaped up into an absorbing contest.

Asked to bat first, the Bandra Blasters posted 192/7 in their 20 overs thanks to a quickfire half-century by opener Suved Parkar. Parkar repeatedly brought the sizeable crowd to their feet during his entertaining knock, needing just 37 balls to smash his way to 69 runs with the help of eight boundaries and three sixes.

The right-hander was finally sent on his way when he misjudged the bounce of an outswinger by Knights pacer Minad Manjrekar, with Jay Jain latching on to the top edge at third man. Shyamsundar Keshkamat (41) and Vikrant Auti added 62 runs between them before the former perished while going for one big shot too many.

The Knights bowlers then smothered the Mumbai lower order with wickets at regular intervals to restrict the Blasters to apply the brakes on the scoring rate.

Faced with a stiff target, the Knights suffered a setback in the very first over when opener Siddhant Aadhhathrao was caught at the boundary. However, the celebrations in the Bandra Blasters camp had hardly died down when the heavens opened up, forcing the players and match officials to scamper off the field. (ANI)