The Vidarbha Pro T20 League 2025 is rolling on with drama, and Match 13 between Pagariya Strikers (PAS) and NECO Master Blaster (NMB) at Nagpur laid on the fireworks. The Strikers batted first, putting together a tricky total of 165 before being bowled out in the last over. It was bit of a roller coaster, with batters coming in hot and the bowlers applying the brakes just in time.
Opening for PAS, Adhyayan Daga made a splash with a quickfire 17 off 10 balls, setting the tone with a strike rate of 170. Aryan Meshram dug in as anchor, grinding out 25 from 29 balls—maybe not as flashy, but important for building the innings. The Strikers lost wickets in clusters but still set a decent target given the pitch, which seemed to slow down as the innings went on.
Chasing 165, NMB got off to a measured start. It was R Sanjay who shouldered most of the scoring responsibility, knocking 43 runs from 34 balls and balancing risk with steady accumulation. When the crunch arrived in the final overs, NMB needed something special. Jitesh Sharma, known from his IPL stints, flashed memories of big-league finishes, remaining unbeaten with 21 off just 12 balls. Shanmesh Deshmukh tried to support with a patient 4 off 6 but with pressure mounting, the chase fizzled out at 157 for 6 in 20 overs.
While the batsmen grabbed attention, the bowlers made headlines too. Ashit Singh went on a rampage, taking 6 wickets in his spell, ripping through the NMB middle order. Vishesh Tiwari, a reliable performer all season, snagged 9 wickets in his allotted overs, proving a real weapon, especially as the pitch started turning.
One moment that really caught everyone's attention? As Jitesh Sharma started to find the boundary, the stands lit up with RCB chants, a nod to his IPL fanbase. It’s not every day you get to play hundreds of kilometers away and still hear fans rooting for your franchise nickname. Clearly, Sharma’s stint with RCB has made him one of the crowd favorites even in domestic cricket.
Building a Dream11 line-up for matchups like PAS vs NMB can be tricky, but the trends from this game make things clearer. All-rounders, like Sharma, are gold—scoring runs and chipping in with the ball. For top-order batting, keep Adhyayan Daga and Aryan Meshram on your radar; either can step up when the pitch gets tough.
Bowlers ruled here, so don't ignore the impact of spinners and slower bowlers—Ashit Singh and Vishesh Tiwari top the must-have list. Both delivered economical spells and dismantled the opposition just when it mattered. If you're torn about wicketkeepers, give thought to Vedant Dighade and Addhyan Rauthan—both have neat hands behind the stumps and have shown flashes of useful batting.
The Vidarbha pitch helped those who took the pace off, making spinners and cunning medium pacers more effective. Forget loading up only on power hitters; look for bowlers who can adjust to slow and turning tracks.
As the league heads into the thick of the season, these details around player form and pitch behavior are starting to separate the fantasy cricket rookies from the veterans. If you play your cards right, you could find yourself climbing the leaderboards with just a few smart changes.
