Giants reign supreme again as Yalla Shabab claim D50 crown

MUSCAT: Yalla Shabab Giants produced a remarkable recovery with the bat before their bowlers completed the job, defeating Royal Oman Stallions by 36 runs in the Oman D50 final at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground recently to retain their title.The back-to-back titles for Giants brought the curtains down on an 18-day competition featuring six of Oman’s leading Premier Division sides. After a single round-robin league, Giants and Stallions emerged as the top two, each having suffered just one defeat, setting up a final between the competition’s strongest sides, owned by one owner, Chaitanya Khimji.Winning the toss, Giants opted to bat but were immediately under pressure as both openers departed inside the first two overs. Vinay Radha scored 24 from 56 balls and Ameer Zeeshan made 17 off 43, but wickets continued to tumble and the defending champions were reduced to a precarious 64 for seven.With the innings in danger of collapsing, experienced campaigner Zikriya Islam joined 14-year-old Shravan Kurup to launch a crucial recovery.Islam’s 43 off 55 balls and Kurup’s composed 51 from 88 deliveries formed the backbone of a vital eighth-wicket partnership that transformed the Giants’ fortunes. Their efforts carried the defending champions to 173 before they were bowled out in 49.5 overs.Muhammed Nadeem was the Stallions’ most successful bowler, finishing with three for 32.The target, however, proved beyond Stallions as their chase quickly unravelled. Four wickets fell inside the opening 10 overs, with Usman Ali Afridi claiming three early wickets and Yashas GL taking one to leave the runners-up in serious trouble.Sabin Raj briefly threatened to revive the chase with an aggressive 46 from just 30 balls, but Giants refused to surrender control. Islam and Kamaleshwaran A claimed two wickets apiece as the Stallions’ resistance faded. Stallions were eventually bowled out for 137 in 32.1 overs, giving Giants a 36-run victory and their second successive Oman D50 crown.Islam’s all-round contribution earned him Player of the Match honours, while Stallions’ Gowtham Sagar was named Player of the Tournament after an outstanding campaign in which he scored 312 runs and claimed eight wickets in six matches.Oman Cricket Director – Cricket Operations & Chief Development Officer Duleep Mendis praised the standard of the competition and its importance to the country’s domestic structure.“It was an excellent competition between six of the most competitive sides in Oman. We congratulate the players and management of Yalla Shabab Giants and Royal Oman Stallions on claiming the Champions and Runners-Up positions respectively,” Mendis said.“The Oman D50 has once again provided a strong platform for our domestic players to compete at a high level.“The tournament also served as valuable preparation for members of our national pool ahead of the upcoming ICC CWC League 2 fixtures against Nepal and Canada in early October.”At the closing ceremony, Oman Cricket Chairman Pankaj Khimji and Mendis presented the individual and team awards.Brief scores: Yalla Shabab Giants 173 all out in 49.5 overs (Shravan Kurup 51, Zikriya Islam 43; Muhammed Nadeem 3/32) beat Royal Oman Stallions 137 all out in 32.1 overs (Sabin Raj 46; Usman Ali Afridi 4/44) by 36 runs.