The 2024 Prem Ranjan Memorial Tournament has officially etched itself into the annals of our institution’s history. The tournament, in every sense, represented the spirit and grit of the man after whom it was named, as each and every player went to the cricket pitch as soldiers go to the battlefield. When the dust settled on the Sangam grounds, HS20 had triumphed, defeating PhD in the climactic finale. We reflect on a series of nail-biting matches that kept spectators on the edge of their seats and balconies brimming with cheers.
In this series, we’ll review the performances of all the teams, celebrating the actions of glory, the tests of endurance, and, more importantly, capture the emotions of all our cricketing moments that we will cherish.
HS20 – Bhaikings: Reigning Defending and Undisputed Monarchs
HS20 showed once again why they are one of the greatest sporting sides in the history of our Department, as their streak of generational dominance continued as they won the back-to-back editions of the Prem Ranjan tournament. Led by the Chanakya Demudu Naidu, HS20 won 4 out of their 5 group stage matches and claimed their grand spot in the final, and from there the trophy.
They started their winning streak by defeating PhD in their first match, thanks to the tremendous rescue act of Vishal and Yatin with the bat at a crucial time. Again, Faiza reminded us what quality bowling is all about as she took three crucial wickets with the ball.
Following the win against PhD, HS20 displayed a pure bowling clinic as they defended 93 runs against HS22’s batting attack, with Shubham showing levels with the ball. He is indeed dangerous as he always is on the cricket pitch.
Following this, HS20 had a tough encounter with HS24 despite Vishal and Shubham guarding the HS20 fort with the bat, the sophomores emerged victorious against HS20, and it was for the very first time that they were beaten in the entire history of the Prem Ranjan tournament.
But a champion side is not defined by its character when it’s on the mountaintop but when it is at the bottom of the mountain, and the very next hour, they crushed HS23 by posting a whopping 147 runs on the board, thanks to the destructive trio of Appu, Shubam and Vishal. Following this, Appukrishnan quickly shifted roles and bowled deadly yorkers that sealed the deal for HS20 comfortably.
The final match of HS20 would be played against HS21, and a win against their HS21 would guarantee them a spot in the grand finale, so the match had sufficient stakes. HS20 initially had a rough start with the bat as their main batting trio got out early. However, folks, don’t forget Captain Saab is still here and in a crucial time, Naidu saved the day for his team. With the ball, Faiza is once again spot on at the death, taking crucial wickets, saving valuable runs and making her team reach the finals.
And so D-Day finally arrived on September 5th with HS20 and PhD in the finals. It is an instant full circle moment as the competition and rivalry between the two sides is already etched deep, and the match is an instant classic. The pressure is at its peak, but cometh the hour cometh the man Appukrishnan, while he was relatively silent during the tournament. Still, he is the man of the big actions, and his crucial fifty, which came off of some monstrous sixes, is perhaps the most important knock in this tournament. He got good support from Shubam and Naincy on the other end, but once the wickets started falling in quick succession, the final rescue once again came from Yatin – just like how he rescued them in the first match. Barua and Sushant joined him at a crucial time, and as the innings came to a close as HS20 posted 154 runs in 15 overs.
When the bowlers arrived, they were spot on. The trio of Appu, Vishal, and Shubham, appeared to be like Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood, and each wicket brought them closer to victory.
PhD: Timeless Talent, The Legends from the Underground
PhD were led by the returning hero, Libin John, and standing by his side was his deputy – a crucial player last season – Akash Yadav. The team under them has shown that no matter the circumstances and odds, steady heads with perseverance prevail longer in the storms. While they were stormed in the first match, they showed one of the most ridiculous comebacks following the loss, winning the next four matches and narrowly getting defeated by the eventual champions in the final.
They started the campaign with a rough start, losing to HS20. Still, they displayed an excellent bowling performance against HS20, with Libin John bowling the best spell in a tournament in the very first match, as the ball movement scared even the best batsmen. While they initially looked like clear victors, their careless batting failed to live up to the auction. But following this disaster, their comeback story started to be scripted.
On the very next day they faced HS21, batting first. Despite the early wickets of Libin, Sarthak and Akash have weaved a crucial partnership, with Sarthak leaving after a few classy shots, Akash Yadav has different plans as he whopped a quick 85 runs. Usha changed the complexion of the game with her crucial boundaries that scared the opponents, and they posted 141 runs in 10 overs. HS21 did not easily give up, but the crucial death bowling by Libin and Akash along with electric keeping from Debranjan had PhD emerge victorious.
Following this, they were put up against the freshies, but PhD showed that experience always matters in the crunch games as they restricted freshies for a meagre total of 92 thanks to Akash Yadav, Libin and Usha, and their outstanding bowling performances. In the chase, the combined efforts of Sarthak and Akash Yadav, along with the 360 degree batting of Debranjan – the official SKY of the Department – PhD cruised home.
The PhD next faced HS23, and despite the flying start of HS23, it was Libin and the ball that did the job for the Phd Kings as the man kept the warning board and said ‘No Runs Here!’ The chase was set in with Akash Yadav smashing everyone he saw, and he claimed an epic partnership with Usha, who scored 27 runs in just 8 balls. Umesh finished the innings in style, taking them closer to the playoffs.
But the race to playoffs is not very easy, as they battled HS22 in what was a pseudo semifinal match. We got to witness a pure bowling clinic from PhD and once again it was Libin who began the proceedings, getting the openers Akhil and Santosh out. With that PhD toppled the HS22 batting lineup, and it was followed with quick hitting by Sarthak and Debranjan. With this comfortable victory, PhD secured their spot into the final against HS20.
Best Performers and Awards:
Best Batsman: – From Sangam to the Stars, The Cosmic Force”
If you are playing a prediction game of the best batsman of the tournament, even before the tournament, you end up saying one name. By the end of the tournament, the same guy will stand light years ahead of all the others. Don’t be too happy if your prediction is correct because that’s not a prediction that is a spoiler. The name is, of course, Santosh Satyala, a familiar name not just among us but even on the Insti cricket circuit. Playing cricket from the age of 6, one of the stalwarts of our tournament never fails to entertain all of us with his power hitting. His stats are a testament to it: 266 runs in 5 matches which include a whopping 156* knock. Through the tournament, he smacked 31 sixes into the Sangam forests and one into the middle of Godavari hostel! Who knows how many balls were recovered, please don’t ask him for the money. Collect it directly from Viv Richards after showing him the video.
Best Bowler: The return of our Department’s prodigal son:
Libin John, one of the all-time GOATs of this illustrious tournament, has returned. While he could not physically make his HS16 win the trophy, he brought PhD tantalisingly close. Libin’s quest for the trophy is still continuing, but underneath the quest, Libin emerged as the best bowler in our tournament, known for his accurate line and lengths and his unique ability to swing even the tennis ball under the lights. A menace to every batter, Libin emerged as a leading wicket-taker with ten crucial wickets in his pocket and a brilliant economy rate of 6.11. Without a doubt the best bowler in the Department.
MVP- The Redemption Arc of Vishal Ahlawat, the Bhai in Bhaikings:
The previous edition of the tournament saw Vishal unable to live up to his expectations, but this year, he stepped up right away from the first ball he faced. While HS20 is made up of many star players in this edition, whenever the heat turned up, the coolest refrigerator in the Department showed up. Throughout the tournament he showcased his dominance, both with the bat and with the ball. In total, he scored a massive 231 runs, along with six crucial wickets – making his team lift the cup once again.
Best Female Player – Queen Usha’s Aura:
In a tournament where historically, male players dominate the game, this edition saw numerous female talents emerging and Usha is the ultimate embodiment of this grand success, a unique batting position with perfect calmness on the face. Her batting has the ability to scare opponents – she scored a whopping 85 runs with the bat and has a golden arm that can pick crucial wickets quite similar to Faiza – the other most successful female player. While there was a radical shift in the rise of girl players in the tournament, Usha stood above all.
Report by Joseph Kumar
Edited by Yatin Satish
Design by Neenu
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