Bilaspur Bulls remained undefeated throughout the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League, chasing down Raigarh Lions' target in 16.3 overs.

 Bilaspur Bulls capped off an unbeaten run to lift the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) Season 3 trophy on Sunday, defeating Raigarh Lions by seven wickets in a clinical final at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, the Bulls' bowling attack restricted Raigarh Lions before their top-order chased down the target comfortably with more than three overs to spare. The victory marks a historic campaign for the Bilaspur franchise, which did not lose a single match through the entirety of the tournament.

Lions struggle for momentum

Sent in to bat, Raigarh Lions posted a competitive but underwhelming 160 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings struggled for sustained momentum against a disciplined Bilaspur bowling attack.

Nayan Chavan top-scored for the Lions with a gritty 41, while Sangat Soni contributed a crucial 32 in the middle overs. Late cameos from Alok Sahu (25) and Deepak Yadav (22) helped push the score past the 160-mark, giving their bowlers something to defend on a Raipur track that generally favors chasing teams under lights.

Gondwani wrecks top order

The damage with the ball was primarily driven by Bharat Gondwani, who troubled the Raigarh batters from his opening spell. Gondwani finished as the pick of the bowlers, snaring three vital wickets to derail the Lions' hopes of a massive total.

He received ample support from teammates Varun Singh Bhui and Mohit Raut, both of whom picked up two wickets each, keeping the pressure on from both ends during the death overs.

Clinical chase by Bulls

The run chase was straightforward for the tournament favorites. Bilaspur Bulls adopted an aggressive approach right from the Powerplay, ensuring the asking rate remained well within control.

An all-round batting effort saw Viklap Tiwari and Pawan Parnate scoring identical knocks of 29 runs, laying a solid foundation. Ayush Pandey then accelerated the innings with a brisk 33, deflating the opposition bowling attack. The Bulls overhauled the 161-run target in just 16.3 overs, finishing at 164 for 3 to trigger wild celebrations in the dugout.

Bowlers fail to strike

Raigarh Lions' bowling unit failed to find regular breakthroughs to put pressure on the rampaging Bilaspur batting line-up. Pravin Kumar Yadav and Shubham Agarwal managed a wicket apiece, but they lacked support from the other end as the Bulls boundaries flowed freely.

Bharat Gondwani was adjudged the Player of the Match for his decisive three-wicket haul that set up the victory. Local sports authorities and Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh officials presented the trophy to the unbeaten Bilaspur Bulls squad during the post-match presentation late Sunday evening.