Friday 26 / July / 2024
Muscat: The ongoing 2023-24 Oman Cricket domestic season is turning out to be a memorable one for Chaitanya Khimji, owner of two top-flight teams - Amerat Royals (Oman Stallions) and Ruwi Rangers (Yalla Shabab).
Following the title triumph of Ruwi Rangers in the D20 earlier this season in October 2023, Amerat Royals were crowned champions in the third edition of Oman D10 League at the Oman Cricket Academy ground recently.
With two domestic titles under the belt, Khimji will hope that his boys emulate the 2021-22 season when the two teams claimed a sensational treble with the Super League D50 title along with D10 and D20.
Vinu Mathew, team manager of Amerat Royals and Ruwi Rangers, was delighted after the Royals defeated Bousher Busters in the D10 final by 14 runs.
In his remarks to Times of Oman, Mathew said: “We have a balanced team with a mix of expatriate players from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They have gelled well and delivered results. Ruwi Rangers claimed the D20 and now Amerat Royals have won the D10. The double delight is a result of hard work and team spirit under the guidance of our dynamic and passionate owner, Chaitanyabhai.
“We hope to make it a treble this season and though our teams have not faced each other in the summit clash so far, we hope we can end the jinx this season and repeat our 2021-22 season achievement when our teams made a clean sweep of all the three tournaments.”
The D10 title win was the first for the Royals, who displayed consistency throughout the tournament to cap their stunning run in the 11-day event, organised by Oman Cricket (OC).
Both the finalists, Amerat Royals and Bousher Busters, had registered impressive wins in the group stage.
Going into the summit clash, Royals won six of their seven league games while Busters won five. The format witnessed five teams progressing into the second round, the two teams were joined by Ruwi Rangers, Ghubra Giants and Qurum Thunders.
In the second round, Bousher Busters and Amerat Royals led the table securing three wins each to set up a title clash.
In the final, Royals’ Jiten Ramanandi’s all-round display stole the limelight. He slammed a breezy 46 to help his side reach 109. Fawad Ali bagged 3 wickets while Aaqib Ilyas claimed two for the Busters.
Buster’s chase looked on track with Aaqib Ilyas at the crease. However, his dismissal for 39 in the seventh over proved to be the turning point as he was caught in the 7th over scoring 39.
Mohammed Adeeb Usmani’s 26 went in vain as Ramanandi grabbed two wickets for just 12 runs to restrict the Busters to 95/4.
The third edition of Oman D10 witnessed 40 matches and saw a total of 479 maximums and 548 boundaries being smashed while a total 381 wickets fell.
Royals’ Ramanandi was adjudged Player of the Final while Ilyas was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his allround performance (354 runs at a strike rate of 200 and 7 wickets).
At the post-match presentation ceremony, Pankaj Khimji, OC Chairman, handed the champions trophy to Amerat Royals’ skipper Pratik Athawale. Paul Sheridan, OC vice-chairman, handed the runners-up trophy to Bousher Busters’ captain Sufyan Mehmood.
Alkesh Joshi, OC treasurer, Mohammed Faizan Idris, ITW Universe, and Duleep Mendis, OC Chief Development Officer presented the other individual awards.
Brief scores: Amerat Royals 109/7 (Jiten Ramanandi 46 (21); Fawad Ali 3/14; Aaqib Ilyas 2/24) beat Bousher Busters 95/4 (Aaqib Ilyas 39 (19), Mohammed Adeeb Usmani 26 (18); Jiten Ramanandi 2/12).
