Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 24: NIT Srinagar finished as the runners-up in the All-India Inter-NIT Students Cricket Tournament, narrowly losing to NIT Kurukshetra by 9 runs in a thrilling final at the NIT Silchar cricket ground in Assam. After winning the toss and opting to bat, NIT Kurukshetra posted a target of 102 runs in 15 overs. Ravi Panwar led the charge with 42 runs off 42 balls, supported by Naman Godara’s 17 runs. NIT Srinagar’s bowling unit, led by Meer Yousuf, who took 2 wickets, restricted Kurukshetra to 102-7. Ahsan Ul Haq, Syed Ibrahim Kamili, Yawer Hameed, and Toheed Ahmad each took a wicket.
In reply, NIT Srinagar fought hard but fell short, managing 93-9 in 15 overs. Mohammad Huzaif (wicketkeeper) top-scored with 36 runs off 20 balls, while captain Syed Ibrahim Kamili contributed 17 runs. Nikhil Thakur from NIT Kurukshetra was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets and earning the Player of the Match award.
Earlier, NIT Srinagar had an impressive run, defeating NIT Jaipur by 45 runs in the semi-final, where they posted 112 runs in 12 overs. In the quarter-final, NIT Srinagar beat NIT Hamirpur by 6 wickets, and in the league matches, they defeated NIT Silchar and NIT Calicut.
Director of NIT Srinagar, Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, congratulated the team for their perseverance and skill, especially in overcoming the challenges of subzero temperatures. The team was supported by faculty members and staff, including Sohail Ahmad Baba and Abdul Hameed.