Venkatesh Iyer’s early exit hands Leopards statement win in MPL

Indore: Defending champions Bhopal Leopards produced a commanding performance to upset the star-studded Indore Pink Panthers by 27 runs in one of the biggest results of the early stages of Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup 2026 at Holkar Stadium on Thursday.

The match drew considerable attention as IPL and RCB star Venkatesh Iyer led the Pink Panthers. However, expectations of a batting spectacle were dashed when Iyer managed just one run before being dismissed by Kamal Tripathi. Chasing a challenging target of 175, the Panthers were bowled out for 147 in 18.5 overs.

Earlier, Bhopal Leopards posted 174 in 20 overs, powered by Harsh Shinde’s aggressive 44 off 29 balls. Captain Aniket Verma contributed 26 from 20 deliveries, while Saransh Surana fought hard for Indore with 43 off 34 balls. The chase, however, belonged to Leopards pacer Pawan Nirwani, who produced a match-winning spell of 4/21 to derail the Panthers’ batting line-up. Currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, Nirwani’s four-wicket haul included key breakthroughs and earned him the Player of the Match award as the defending champions began their title defence in impressive fashion.

In the first men’s match of the day, Chambal Ghariyals defeated Ashutosh Sharma-led Malwa Stallions by six wickets. After restricting Stallions to 154/7 despite an unbeaten 57 by Rishabh Singh Chauhan, Chambal chased down the target comfortably. Opener Ankush Singh starred with an unbeaten 58 off 36 balls, sharing a crucial 73-run stand with Rohit Kumar Gupta (37). Fast bowler Avesh Khan provided the early breakthroughs that set up the victory.

The women’s competition also got off to an exciting start at Daly College Ground. Chambal Ghariyals Women registered an emphatic eight-wicket win over Gwalior Shernis Women. Kanishka Thakur anchored the chase with a match-winning 53 off 44 balls after Vaishnavi Singh’s three-wicket haul restricted the Shernis to 111/7.

In the second women’s fixture, Bundelkhand Bulls Women cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Bhopal Wolves Women. Yashashwini Bohare impressed with both bat and ball, claiming two wickets before scoring 48, while captain Anushka Sharma struck a quickfire 34 as the Bulls comfortably chased 118.

The MPL witnessed four matches on Thursday, with action spread across both the men’s and women’s competitions.