Kalahandi Cup 2026: Sundargarh beat Cuttack-A by two wickets to win title

Cuttack: Sundargarh held their nerve in a tense finish to defeat Cuttack-A by two wickets and lift the Kalahandi Cup 2026, OCA’s senior men’s inter-district cricket tournament title at the Barabati Stadium, here on Wednesday.

After winning the toss, Sundargarh opted to field first and managed to restrict Cuttack-A to 232 for 9 in their 50 overs.

Cuttack-A’s innings was anchored by Saideep Mohapatra, who played a patient knock of 74 off 104 balls to steady the innings. While wickets fell at intervals, Mohapatra’s effort helped Cuttack-A post a competitive total.

Sundargarh’s bowlers shared the spoils with Soumya R Lenka (2/32) leading the way. Krishna Palai (2/43), Abhishek Singh (2/27) and Govinda Poddar (2/46) also chipped in with two wickets each to keep the opposition under control.

Chasing 233 for victory, Sundargarh got off to an aggressive start thanks to a fluent knock from Bivash Shaw, who smashed 52 off just 32 balls, setting the tone for the chase.

Despite the strong start, Cuttack-A fought back with timely wickets. Sumit Sharma (2/37) and Subham Nayak (2/61) applied pressure in the middle overs as Sundargarh lost wickets and the contest tightened.

However, Sundargarh managed to hold their composure in the closing stages and eventually reached 233 for 8 in 43 overs, sealing a two-wicket win to emerge champions of the tournament.

Soumya Lenka was named Player of the Final for his impactful all-round contribution, scoring 23 off 19 balls and picking up two wickets for 36 runs.

The final also marked the conclusion of a successful edition of the tournament, which featured 38 teams and 109 matches across the state.