Kalahandi Cup 2026: Cuttack-A, Keonjhar dominate; Kalahandi clinch one-run thriller
The day one of the second phase preliminary league in the Kalahandi Cup 2026 delivered a mix of dominant wins and nail-biting finishes across venues.
At Ravenshaw Ground-2, Bhubaneswar-B chased down 191 comfortably to defeat Bhadrak by six wickets. Bhadrak, after opting to bat, were bowled out for 190 in 45.2 overs, with Akash Mohapatra top-scoring with 69 off 101 balls. Sambit S Baral was the standout with the ball, claiming 4 for 44. In reply, Raghunath Malla smashed 71 off 53 balls, while Ayush Sutar remained unbeaten on 69 off 100 as Bhubaneswar-B reached 191 for 4 in 33.5 overs.
At Adaspur Ground, Mayurbhanj edged out Angul in a tight contest. Mayurbhanj posted 164 for 9 in 29 overs, powered by Abhigyan Mohanty’s 76 off 78 balls. Milan Samal picked up 4 for 31 for Angul. In response, Angul were bowled out for 155 in 28.2 overs despite Subhrajyoti Mishra’s 45. Purab R Nandha (3/20) and Preetpal Singh (3/29) ensured Mayurbhanj sealed a narrow nine-run win.
Puri secured a four-wicket win over Bargarh at Railway Ground, Jatni. Bargarh were restricted to 141 in 45.1 overs, with Satish K Minz scoring 53. Lalu Mohanty was exceptional, finishing with 5 for 20. Puri chased down the target in 32 overs, reaching 142 for 6, thanks to Mayank Pattanayak’s fluent 59 off 60 balls.
At BJB School Ground, Rourkela defeated Balasore by four wickets. Balasore made 202 for 9 in 36 overs, with Nauttam Bhanja scoring 47. Swoop S Bhuyan starred with both bat and ball, taking 3 for 21 and then scoring 64 off 78 balls to guide Rourkela to 205 for 6 in 35.2 overs.
Keonjhar registered one of the biggest wins of the day, crushing Jagatsinghpur by 170 runs at DRIEMS Cricket Ground. Keonjhar piled up 298 for 9 in 49 overs, led by Subhranshu S Senapati’s explosive 94 off 73 balls and Biswajit Jena’s 55. Jagatsinghpur were bowled out for 128 in 31.2 overs despite Soubhagya Mishra’s 63, with Soyanshu Pattanayak returning figures of 4 for 26.
The closest contest unfolded at Sunshine Ground, where Kalahandi defended 164 in dramatic fashion against Kandhamal. Dinesh Kumar Majhi’s 51 helped Kalahandi reach 164 in 37.1 overs, while Subhasis Palo (4/24) and Rasmi R Sahoo (3/34) impressed with the ball. Kandhamal were bowled out for 163 in 42.4 overs, falling short by just one run as Subham Dash claimed a crucial 4 for 32 and Sukhmeet Gill picked up 3 for 38.
At MGM Ground, Cuttack-A put on a batting masterclass against Paradeep. They amassed 329 for 7 in 50 overs, with Anil Parida (91), Biplab Samantray (64), Bikram K Samal (62 off 35) and Rajesh Dhupar (56) all contributing significantly. Paradeep were then dismissed for 153 in 43.5 overs, with Priyansu Mohanty taking 5 for 45 as Cuttack-A secured a commanding 176-run victory.
Meanwhile, Gajapati overcame KIIT by three wickets at Ravenshaw Ground-1. KIIT managed 176 in 46.4 overs, with Badal Biswal producing a stunning spell of 4 for 6 for Gajapati. In the chase, Ramani R Jena anchored the innings with 81 off 108 balls as Gajapati reached 180 for 7 in 42.2 overs.
