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T20 Mumbai League: The result of the SoBo Mumbai Falcons’ penultimate league match of T20 Mumbai’s third edition didn’t really matter. Thanks to its hat-trick of wins up front, it had already been assured of a place in the semifinals. Had it defeated Eagle Thane Strikers at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday night, all the other remaining qualification slots would have been up for grabs.

But an all-round display by the Strikers – and a sensational catch by Amit Pandey to dismiss SoBo Mumbai Falcons captain Shreyas Iyer – meant the Falcons ended up on the losing side for the first time in the season. After the Strikers put on 151 for eight after being inserted into bat, the Falcons were bowled out for 115 in the 16th over.

Despite opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi perishing early, Ishan Mulchandani and Shreyas – batting at No. 3 – gave Falcons a quickfire start. Even after Mulchandani succumbed to the Strikers captain Atharva Ankolekar’s left-arm spin, the Strikers had maintained a healthy run rate.