Mumbai Marathas, asked to bat first after Kannur opted to field, exploded out of the blocks. Ronak Panoly launched into the powerplay with a rollicking 34 off 18 deliveries, peppering the ropes with six boundaries and one towering six. His dismissal against the run of play barely slowed the momentum as skipper Yasir, calm yet commanding, stitched a polished 38 from 27 balls, laced with five fours and a six. Lovepreet’s fluent 33 kept the scoreboard galloping, while Salman Pasha’s late assault (31 off 18) provided the final flourish. Basit Bhat’s unbeaten cameo of 23 off 12 ensured Mumbai breached the 200-run mark, finishing on 203/8. It wasn’t just batting dominance; it was intent, aggression, and precision combined to overwhelm Kannur’s bowlers.

The bowling card for Kannur told a mixed story. While Mohammed Rizwan Sabir was sensational with 4/24, consistently troubling batsmen with his variations, the rest leaked runs at will. Rameez Nawab’s 53 from four overs and Syam Remesh’s 51 in three overs were costly blows that nullified Rizwan’s brilliance. Extras compounded their misery, with 14 wides swelling Mumbai’s tally. It was a classic case of one bowler fighting a lone battle while the rest wilted under pressure.