Cricket: Swamibapa battle Sikh Union for NPCA T20 title
Swamibapa 'A' leg spinner Yash Bhatti bowls during their training session at Jamhuri High School Cricket ground in Nairobi on February 21, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Swamibapa captain Rushab Patel, who has been one of the star players for the 2017 champions said they will go all out against Sikh Union
- Apart from opener Rushab Patel, middle order batsman Dhwanil Patel and Yash Bhatt are some of the players expected to give Sikh Union a run for their money, having been impressive throughout the tournament
- Sikh Union captain Sukhdeep Singh said they are not under pressure, and are sure of getting the better of the former champions in the much-awaited clash
After six action-packed weekends, curtains will Saturday night come down on the 2023 Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) T20 Super League with an encounter between Swamibapa Sports Club “A” and Sikh Union Club “A”.
The match will be played at the Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj (SCLPS) grounds in Nairobi West from 6:30pm.
It will be the first time in the history of the competition that the final is played under floodlights.
And for the first time after several years, there will be trophies for the winning team and runners-up.
There will also be individual awards for the most outstanding players in the tournament that attracted eight teams.
Even as Swamibapa heads into the clash as favourites, they refuse to rest on their laurels. Captain Rushab Patel, who has been one of the star players for the 2017 champions said they will go all out against Sikh Union.
“Sikh Union have played some very competitive cricket lately and that’s obviously the reason they have reached where they are at the present. So, we will treat them as any other team,” said Rushab Patel.
On their way to the final, Swamibapa registered eight wins and just one loss.
In what was a sweet revenge, the former champions defeated Sir Ali Muslim Club by 69 runs in the semi-finals held last Saturday.
They had fallen to Sir Ali by 38 runs in the first round contest held on January 29.
Apart from opener Rushab Patel, middle order batsman Dhwanil Patel and Yash Bhatt are some of the players expected to give Sikh Union a run for their money, having been impressive throughout the tournament.
Against SCLPS “A” and Nairobi Gymkhana “A”, Rushab Patel led his team to victory with 58 and 67 runs respectively. Dhwanil Patel top scored with 56, 71 and 78 runs against Sir Ali, Sikh Union and Obuya respectively.
He also delivered 78 runs against Sir Ali in the semi-finals while Yash Bhatt has picked a massive 18 wickets in the tournament.
Sikh Union captain Sukhdeep Singh said they are not under pressure, and are sure of getting the better of the former champions in the much-awaited clash.
“We have trained and bonded very well as a team, so mentally we are very strong,” said Singh who delayed his trip to India by a day just to be available for the match.
“In T20, we have seen that any team that plays good cricket can win. We want to stick to our plan and we are sure of winning.”
Sikh Union, who finished fourth with 20 points after the first round, progressed to the final thanks to their five-wicket win over champions Kanbis Sports Club “A” in the first elimination last Saturday.
They were to lock-horns with Sir Ali in the final elimination match last Sunday but Sir Ali were suspended from the competition after a section of their players fought with fans in their clash against Swamibapa at Nairobi Gymkhana.
The final has been sponsored by Canton Group of Companies and Elite Tools Limited.
