In the second innings, Aditya Ojha (31 off 13 balls) and Uday Tiwary (34 off 18 balls) excelled and the Bhojpuri team made 89 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Telugu Warriors, who were leading in the first innings, only had a target of 58 runs in the second innings. The Telugu team came into the ring with a small target and hit the target with the loss of only one wicket. Akkineni Akhil bagged Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards. Thaman was adjudged the Best Bowler of the Match and Entertainer of the Season.
CCL was held for the first time in 2011. Then only four teams participated. Telugu Warriors have won the title for three consecutive years since 2015. While 8 teams participated in this season, Bhojpuri team reached the final without losing a single match. This time the CCL was conducted on an innings wise basis, unlike the previous test format.
On the other hand, the journey of Telugu Warriors was different. Losing two qualifying matches, the Tollywood team faced the danger of exiting the tournament at one stage. Chennai Rhinos’ net run rate is low which is beneficial for the Telugu team. Telugu Warriors reached the final after defeating the mighty Karnataka Bulldozers in the semi-finals on Friday evening. With Karnataka winning all the matches till the knockout stage, the team was considered as the favorite for the title. But the Tollywood team defeated the Bulldozers in the semis. On the other hand, the Bhojpuri team defeated the Mumbai Heroes in the semifinals.
