Amandeep Khare’s century propelled Raipur Rhinos to a dominant win in the CCPL opener

A brilliant century by Amandeep Khare led Raipur Rhinos to a dominant 90-run victory over Rajnandgaon Panthers in the opening match of Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) Season 3. The Rhinos captain led from the front at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium who never looked a tight target hitting 10 for the opposition.

The explosive knock firmly re-established Khare as the leading figure in state cricket. As the current captain of Chhattisgarh across the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, his ability to deliver under pressure on the big stage came as no surprise to the local fans.

HOW THE RHINOS OF RAIPUR CAN PANTHRY

At the start of the innings, Khare combined an aggressive stroke play with calculated composure. He found the perfect ally in Amit Kumar Yadav and together the duo dismantled the Panthers bowling attack with a massive opening partnership of 147 runs. While Yadav fell just short of a century with a brilliant 85, their groundwork propelled Raipur Rhinos to a formidable total of 228/6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Khare’s individual contribution was a masterclass in T20 batting, taking just 55 deliveries to reach his 102 runs, a knock punctuated by 11 boundaries and 3 towering sixes.

Facing a steep uphill climb from the start of their chase, Rajnandgaon Panthers struggled to keep pace with the required run rate against a disciplined Raipur bowling unit. Despite a valiant effort from their own captain Ajay Mandal, who fought hard for 74 runs, the rest of the batting line-up fell apart.

The Panthers eventually bundled out for a modest 138 runs in just 16 overs. Gaurav Chaturvedi was the pick of the bowlers for the Rhinos, tearing through the opposition line-up to take 4 wickets, while teammates Ashish Chouhan and Prashant Sai Painkra chipped in with two wickets apiece to seal a comprehensive 90-run victory.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

05 Jun 2026 16:08 IST