A mid-pitch collision and a series of fielding errors during the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) Eliminator between Raigad Royals and Kolhapur Tuskers created a viral moment that stunned players and amused fans. The incident occurred at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium during the second over of Raigad Royals’ chase of 165. Batter Vicky Ostwal struck a delivery from pacer Atman Pore through the covers and attempted a second run with opening partner Siddhesh Veer. Both batters collided while running and fell to the ground.
A clean throw from the deep reached the wicketkeeper, who had a clear chance to effect a run-out. Instead of removing the bails, he lobbed the ball back to the bowler. Pore, caught off guard, failed to collect the return. Kolhapur captain Rahul Tripathi then attempted a direct hit but missed. With no backup in place, Ostwal managed to dive back safely.
The Raigad dugout erupted in laughter while Kolhapur players were left stunned. The missed opportunity proved costly. Ostwal recovered and went on to top-score with 74 runs from 54 deliveries. His knock included 11 fours and one six. Veer contributed 39 from 24 balls. Niraj Joshi remained unbeaten on 37 from 27 balls.
Earlier, Kolhapur Tuskers posted 164, with opener Ankit Bawne scoring 57 off 50 balls. Anand Thenge added 26 runs off just six deliveries and later took two wickets. Deepak Dangi and Sunil Yadav claimed one wicket each. Tripathi scored just two runs before being dismissed.
Raigad Royals secured a six-wicket win and will face Puneri Bappa in Qualifier 2. The winner of that match will advance to the MPL 2025 final to meet Eagle Nashik.
