NEW DELHI: IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy National T20 Cricket Tournament for Blind comes to a close in an eventful manner with a thrilling finale. In the finals played today at Bengaluru’s Altiore Cricket Grounds, Andhra Pradesh exploited the conditions well and dominated Odisha from the very start to earn the coveted Trophy.

Player of the Match, Captain Venkateswara Rao won the toss and made a wise moveand opted to bat first; the idea was to amass a big total and put pressure on Odisha. He commenced his innings well with the company of Thandava Krishna (22 of 16) and stitched a valuable partnership with Durga Rao (47 from 30) to score an unbeaten 132 from just 65 deliveries. He smashed Odisha’s bowlers to all parts of the ground, smashing 23 fours to set up a formidable total for the opponent (246/3). The impact of his batting was such that all Odisha bowlers hadrun rates that exceeded 10.

AP’s Durga Rao played a key role to put a pressure in Odisha’s chase. He bowled 4 overs for 2 wickets by conceding just 15 runs and turned the match completely to AP’s favour as at the end of 10^th over Odisha was scored only 78 runs.    At the end of 20^th overs, Odisha scored 166/5 (Sukhram – 52 from 33 and Nakula – 40 from 41).  Andhra Pradesh won by 80 runs and lifted the trophy for the second time in a row.

Shri K.C. Narayana Gowda, Hon’ble Minister of Youth empowerment & Sports, Karnataka, Shri Damodar, Public Affairs& Communication- South India, Hindustan Coca- Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd,Shri Manish Misri, Zonal Head- South 1, Branch Banking, IndusInd Bank, Dr. Aruna, Ramiah Institute, Dr Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, Founder Managing Trustee Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled along with CABI Officials were present during the presentation ceremony.

Presenting the trophies, Shri K.C. Narayana Gowda, Hon’ble Minister of Youth empowerment & Sports, Karnataka said “I am very happy to see that such initiatives from Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and CABI; a platform like this propels players to overcome all hurdles and perform at the highest level. The IndusInd Nagesh National Cricket Tournament for the Blind has witnessed many exceptional talented Cricketers take the field in their quest for success and glory”

Shri Manish Misri Zonal Head- South1 Branch Banking, IndusInd Bank said “Our CSR initiatives are focused and we take into account the overall impact socially, economically, and environmentally to ensure its positive impact for the underprivileged and disabled”

Dr Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, Founder Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled added, “After Eight days of exhilarating cricket, I would add that the 3^rd edition of IndusInd Nagesh Trophy has exceeded the professional standards of the past two editions. This tournament has been well supported by the Corporates, Media and Public. It has sparked nationwide interest in the sport which will help accelerate the development of the game throughout India and globally. I would like to congratulate all the players for a job well done and thank them for their dedication, confidence and their abilities.