Kalahandi Cup 2026: Big wins, close finishes mark thrilling start to inter-district tournament
The opening day of the Kalahandi Cup 2026 (Senior Men Inter District Cricket Tournament) witnessed nine matches across venues in Odisha, with some dominant wins and a few nail-biting finishes.
At BJB School Ground, Khordha, Sundargarh chased down 182 to beat Sambalpur-B by four wickets. Sambalpur-B were bowled out for 182 in 39.5 overs, with Priya R. Nath scoring 41 and Santosh K. Sharma adding a quick 31. Soumya R. Lenka (3/17) and Walter Toppo (2/25) led the bowling effort. In reply, Sundargarh raced to 186/6 in just 19.4 overs, thanks to a blazing 88 off 38 balls by Swastik Samal. He was named stand-out performer for his all-round show of 88 (38) and 1/21.
At Adashpur Ground, Nayagarh posted a strong 241/7 in 38 overs against Dhenkanal. Biswajeet Pradhan top-scored with 88, while Ashutosh Das remained unbeaten on 52. Mustaq Beg picked up 3/52. Dhenkanal were then bowled out for 150 in 29.1 overs despite Bikash Rout’s 80 and Akash Puhan’s 53. Ashutosh Das shone with the ball as well, claiming 4/21, while Ashimananda Dalabehera took 3/12. Nayagarh won by 91 runs.
At Ravenshaw II Ground, Nabarangpur edged out Kendrapara by 28 runs in a low-scoring contest. Nabarangpur were dismissed for 143 in 38.2 overs, with G Aryan scoring 46. Soumitra K Biswal starred with 5/11 for Kendrapara. In reply, Kendrapara managed only 115 in 33.4 overs. Sukesh Heera’s superb 5/42 ensured Nabarangpur’s win.
At Centurion University Ground, ECORSA defeated Sambalpur-A by 75 runs. ECORSA made 227 in 45.4 overs, led by Girija Rout’s 65 and a rapid 61 off 24 balls by Abhishek Yadav. Shresth Singh took 4/25. Sambalpur-A were bowled out for 152 in 38.3 overs, with Abhishek Yadav also picking up 3/34 to complete an impressive all-round performance.
Balangir registered an 83-run win over Khordha at Sunshine Ground. Batting first, Balangir scored 221 in 44.3 overs, powered by Purusottam Padhan’s brilliant 114 off 96 balls. Khordha were then restricted to 138 in 26.4 overs despite Rakesh Pattanaik’s 45. Sailesh Patnaik (3/18) and Anshuman Mishra (3/37) shared the spoils.
At Ravenshaw I Ground, Cuttack-B beat Sonepur by 58 runs. Cuttack-B made 201 in 42 overs, with Sambit K Sahoo scoring 40. Sonepur were bowled out for 143 in 28 overs, as Jamala Bhanjan Mohapatra delivered a match-winning spell of 5/19.
Bhubaneswar-A defeated Jajpur by 46 runs at DRIEMS Cricket Ground. Bhubaneswar-A put up 276/9 in 50 overs, with Anurag Sarangi (71), Kartik Biswal (66) and Shantanu Mishra (58) leading the charge. Jajpur replied with 230 in 45.5 overs despite Soubhagya Dhal’s 65. Kartik Biswal impressed with 4/43 to cap a fine all-round display.
In a closely fought contest at ECORSA Khordha Road Stadium, Koraput beat Malkangiri by 11 runs. Koraput scored 245/8 in 43 overs, with Adithya Rout making 84. Malkangiri were bowled out for 234 in 42.4 overs despite Jami Tanay’s 66. Niranjan Gouda’s 4/51 proved decisive.
At Nimpur Cricket Ground, Deogarh overcame Boudh by 15 runs. Deogarh posted 225 in 42.4 overs, with Prabin Tirkey scoring 60 and Omm Pradhan 52. Boudh were all out for 210 in 42 overs despite Akshay Singh’s 91. Mridul Pandey’s 4/16 played a key role in sealing the win for Deogarh.
