05/12/2025
TCL-20 Season 2 – Grand Finale
A Clash for the Ages, a Victory Carved in Legend.
The roar of a thousand restless hearts, the TCL-20 Season 2 Final unfolded like an epic carved in fire. Team RFA — the undisputed titans of the league — stormed their way to a jaw-dropping 20th championship, dismantling Team Capital with a performance so commanding it felt less like a contest and more like destiny announcing itself.
Capital Bat First – RFA Unleash the Thunder
Winning the toss, RFA chose to bowl — not cautiously, but with the swagger of a side that knew exactly what storm they were about to unleash.
Rasheed, the left-arm maestro, struck like lightning in the very first over, removing Kashif for 2. The ball seemed to obey him like a loyal soldier. Soon after, Akshay Dabde was hunted down by a razor-sharp throw from Izas Ali, a run-out so precise it felt choreographed by the gods of fielding.
At 46/2 after six overs, Capital were already wobbling.
And then Sackeer added fuel to the fire. With a delivery that screamed “You shall not pass!”, he pinned Asif plumb in front, tightening the noose around Capital’s top order.
Middle Overs – The Rise of Hope
But Capital didn’t crumble.
They rose — slowly, stubbornly, defiantly.
Captain Binu and the ever-reliable Ashok tried to breathe life back into the innings. But just as Ashok began to settle, Iraf plucked a brilliant catch off Mani Bai, extinguishing that spark.
68/4 after nine overs.
The mountain looked impossible.
Yet from the rubble, two warriors emerged — Jubin and Binu. What followed was nothing short of a resurrection. They smashed, slapped, and scorched the ball to every corner of the ground:
• Binu: 58 off 36 (4 sixes, 2 fours)
• Jubin: 69 off just 29 (5 sixes, 5 fours)
They didn’t just revive Capital.
They resurrected them with a roar.
Rasheed’s Historic Spell – The 500-Wicket Crown
When RFA needed control, Rasheed rose again.
Bowling like a man possessed — like a man rewriting cricketing mythology — he delivered a spell for the ages:
4 overs, 4 wickets, 14 runs.
And in those overs, came a moment destined for cricketing folklore:
Rasheed’s 500th wicket in T20 cricket.
The stadium rose.
His teammates thundered around him.
Even opponents couldn’t help but acknowledge the milestone.
Capital finished at 196 — a big score, but RFA had stared down mountains before.
RFA’s Chase – A Symphony of Destruction
If Capital believed they had hope, RFA crushed it in the very first over.
Midhun’s Opening Statement
Captain Midhun flicked the first ball from Murali for a soaring six over deep fine leg — a shot that didn’t just cross the boundary, it tore the script, set it on fire, and wrote a new one.
From there, the carnage began.
Prashob, usually Capital’s spearhead, was smashed for 29 in a single over.
Vipin followed, conceding 18 in the third over.
RFA weren’t batting.
They were conducting a demolition orchestra.
Murali finally removed Midhun, but the celebration died before it started.
Enter Surjith — The Finals Specialist
Surjith batted like a man in a trance.
Every shot was poetry. Every boundary was a declaration. Every six was a cannon blast.
And the crowd felt it — the inevitability, the aura, the dominance.
Meanwhile, Izas Ali played the perfect partner, smashing Anoop for 17 in the 5th over, including two skyscraper sixes.
Then came the moment of destiny:
🔥 Surjith’s Final Masterpiece – A Century Under Pressure
• 10 exquisite boundaries
• 5 towering sixes
• A century in a grand final
Champions rise in finals.
Surjith owned the final.
Vishnu’s Cameo – The Final Nail
After Izas departed, Vishnu walked in with the calm of a man checking into a spa — and then proceeded to blast:
• 4 sixes
• 1 four
in a furious 35-run cameo that shattered any remaining resistance.
A Finish Worthy of Champions
RFA chased down 196 with a swagger only 20-time champions can carry.
This wasn’t just a win — it was a proclamation:
RFA are the undisputed monarchs of TCL-20 cricket.
Post-Match Awards
🏆 Man of the Final: Surjith – Century in the chase
🏆 Best Batter of the Tournament: Surjith
🏆 Player of the Tournament: Surjith
🏆 Best Bowler of the Tournament: Rasheed – including his 500th wicket milestone.
