TNCA President’s XI fought hard and gave itself the best chance of forcing a turnaround, but Hyderabad batters Varun Goud (56 not out) and Rahul Radesh (31 not out) held their nerve to defend the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament title at the CSK-HPC ground in Chennai on Tuesday.
The match ended in a draw, with Hyderabad winning on the basis of a first innings lead. This was Hyderabad’s sixth title overall and its second in succession. The side first lifted the trophy in 1967 under the name Hyderabad Blues.
For Hyderabad, it wasn’t about the runs as much as survival. Goud and Radesh added an unbeaten 85 runs, but more importantly, soaked up 242 deliveries for the sixth wicket. The longer they batted, the more the game drifted away from TNCA President’s XI, who eventually had to accept the fate of the contest as Hyderabad took a 178-run lead, finishing at 155 for five.
The confirmation of victory, however, did not come easily. With the wicket offering assistance to the bowlers, the home side stuck to a stump-to-stump line, forcing batters to play nearly every ball.
P. Vidyuth trapped Aman Rao (19 off 44 balls) leg-before six overs into the day, and 20 minutes later, J. Hemchudeshan cleaned up K. Himateja (11 off 27), who had begun promisingly with a couple of boundaries towards the midwicket.
While the spinners kept asking questions, pacer H. Trilok Nag too maintained pressure from his end, removing Hyderabad skipper Rahul Singh caught behind.
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Overnight batter Ravi Teja, however, looked secure, batting 87 deliveries before falling leg before to Hemchudeshan. But once again, Goud — true to his tournament form — kept things simple. With Radesh for company, he frustrated the opposition with solid defence while occasionally driving and cutting to the fence.
A drizzle midway through the second session forced an early Tea. 15 minutes after the play resumed, opposition captain Pradosh Ranjan Paul offered the handshake, and the match was drawn — handing Hyderabad a perfect start to its season.
Published on Sep 09, 2025
