Madhya Pradesh League T20 Scindia Cup: Rajat Patidar, Parth Chaudhary power Gwalior Cheetahs to stunning comeback win

Opener Parth Chaudhary smashed a spectacular 51-ball 107 to power the Rajat Patidar-led Gwalior Cheetahs to a 12-run victory over Bhopal Leopards in a high-scoring MPL T20 Scindia Cup encounter at Indore’s Holkar Stadium on Friday

Indore: The Rajat Patidar-led Gwalior Cheetahs bounced back in style in the Aditya Birla Group Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026, registering a 12-run victory over the Bhopal Leopards at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Friday.

Batting first, the Cheetahs piled up a mammoth 220/8 in a match reduced to 18 overs per side due to a wet outfield. The innings featured a batting masterclass from Gwalior opener Parth Chaudhary, who smashed the first century of the tournament.

---

Chaudhary came out all guns blazing, partnering with Kartik Parihar to give the Cheetahs a flying start. The opening duo blazed a stunning 90 runs in just 7.1 overs, putting the Leopards’ bowling attack under pressure right from the outset.

Parihar played an aggressive cameo of 35 off 22 balls before departing. Though the Cheetahs lost Kuldeep Gehi soon after, skipper Rajat Patidar joined the rampant opener to sustain the scoring momentum.

The duo took complete control of the innings, clearing the boundaries at will. Chaudhary reached a magnificent milestone, finishing with a breathtaking 107 off just 51 deliveries, laced with nine fours and seven sixes. Patidar chipped in with a quick-fire 29 off 15 balls during their crucial 79-run partnership.

The fireworks continued in the closing stages as Vikas Sharma and Arpit Patel entertained the crowd with powerful late-order hitting to help Gwalior post a massive total.

In reply, the Gwalior bowlers backed up their batters with a disciplined and aggressive display. Tanishq Yadav and Rahul Chandrol gave Bhopal a steady start with a 46-run opening stand, but the innings quickly unravelled after the initial breakthrough.

The Leopards lost momentum dramatically, collapsing from a promising position to 66/5 in 6.1 overs after losing five wickets in the space of three overs.

Pawan Nirwani and Pranjul Puri then staged a gritty recovery, putting together a valuable 92-run partnership to keep Bhopal’s slim hopes alive. The stand was finally broken by Ishan Afridi, who dismissed Puri for a well-made 38 off 21 balls.

Nirwani continued to battle single-handedly and brought up an impressive half-century, but his efforts went in vain as the Leopards were restricted to 208/7, handing the Gwalior Cheetahs a well-earned victory.