Kalahandi Cup 2026: Bhadrak and Balasore dominate, Cuttack-A seal comfortable win

The day three of the Kalahandi Cup 2026 second phase preliminary league produced a string of one-sided wins and a few competitive contests across venues in Odisha on Friday.

At DRIEMS Cricket Ground, Bhadrak delivered a dominant performance against Mayurbhanj. Batting first after Mayurbhanj opted to field, Bhadrak piled up an imposing 303 for 5 in 50 overs. Sahil A Khan led the charge with a composed 103 off 123 balls, while Akash Mohapatra supported him well with 87 off 107. In reply, Mayurbhanj struggled from the outset and were bowled out for just 95 in 26.2 overs. Mari Lokanath’s 28 was the top score in an otherwise disappointing chase. Nihar B Bhuyan (3/32) and Amreet Upadhyaya (2/20) ensured Bhadrak sealed a massive 208-run victory.

At Sunshine Ground, Bhubaneswar-B comfortably chased down Bargarh’s total. Bargarh were all out for 219 in 49.3 overs, with Rohan Kumar remaining unbeaten on 66 and Devendra Kunwar making 54. Biswajeet Mallick starred with the ball for Bhubaneswar-B, claiming 4 for 45, while Rakesh K Barik picked up 3 for 49. In response, Debasish Samantaray anchored the chase with a steady 84 off 106 balls and Raghunath Malla added 66 off 64, guiding Bhubaneswar-B to 220 for 3 in 38.1 overs and a seven-wicket win.

At MGM Ground, Angul edged out Puri in a low-scoring thriller. Puri were bowled out for just 88 in 39.5 overs, with Bishal R Jena’s 16 being the highest score. Akash Pradhan (4/26) and Rohit K Pradhan (2/4) did most of the damage. Angul’s chase was far from smooth as they slipped to 89 for 7 before getting over the line in 26.2 overs to win by three wickets. Shreyansh Bhardwaj top-scored with 23, while Lalu Mohanty’s 4 for 43 kept Puri in the fight.

Balasore registered a convincing 98-run win over Jagatsinghpur at Centurion University Ground. Batting first, Balasore posted a formidable 314 for 6, thanks to contributions from Nirbishankar Barik (76), Sarbeswar Mohanty (74 off 53), Gurudipan Jena (63 not out) and Nauttam Bhanja (56 off 39). In reply, Jagatsinghpur managed 216 for 8 in 50 overs despite half-centuries from Soubhagya Mishra (75) and Kissan Ratha (64). Sarbeswar Mohanty capped a fine all-round performance with an outstanding 6 for 31.

Rourkela thrashed Kandhamal by 172 runs at Ravenshaw Ground-1. Rourkela were bowled out for 243 in 46.4 overs, with Hemanta Nayak (69), Sujal K Singh (54) and Gyana R Nayak (51) making key contributions. Rajesh Patra took 3 for 49 for Kandhamal. However, Kandhamal crumbled to 71 all out in 30.1 overs in reply, as Koushik K Manikpuri ran through the batting order with a superb 5 for 21.

At Adashpur Ground, Nuapada chased down a modest target against Kalahandi. Kalahandi were bowled out for 137 in 33.4 overs, with Badal K Sahoo scoring 42. Michael Suveer was exceptional with the ball, taking 6 for 31. He then followed it up with a brisk 42 off 27 as Nuapada reached 140 for 7 in 25.5 overs to win by three wickets, despite Subham Dash’s 5 for 46.

Cuttack-A also enjoyed a solid outing at Ravenshaw Ground-2. After opting to bat, they posted 260 for 9 in 50 overs, powered by Bikram K Samal’s 56 and Rama C Behera’s 55. Ganjam were bowled out for 143 in 37.1 overs in response, with K Iswar Prasad scoring 53. Sumit Sharma (3/23) and Priyansu Mohanty (3/29) shared the spoils as Cuttack-A secured a 117-run win.

At Railway Ground in Jatni, Paradip defeated Gajapati by 170 runs. Paradip made 263 for 9 in 50 overs, with Saswat Mohanty unbeaten on 74 and Bibhuti B Mallick adding 54. Ronald R B Singh took 3 for 30. Gajapati were then bundled out for 93 in 25.4 overs, Amin I Khan scoring 31. Prakash Jena was the star with a devastating 5 for 8.

Finally, at BJB School Ground in Khordha, Rayagada beat KIIT by six wickets. KIIT were bowled out for 92 in 23 overs, with Ashis K Sethi claiming a brilliant 6 for 30. Rayagada chased down the target comfortably, reaching 93 for 4 in 17 overs, thanks to Sravan Bunga’s 44 off 42 balls.