ALLIANCE Caravans expressed their determination to embark on a successful title defense in the 2025 Petrofuel TCA Caravans Cup, cruising to the showdown's final with a one-run victory over Aurobindo Aga Khan SC in a pulsating knockout tie, termed 'Qualifier', in Dar es Salaam last weekend.

The Qualifier, also acknowledged as a semi-final, had Alliance Caravans' Karthik Nair staging a stellar all-round showing to have his club edge the rivals, Aurobindo Aga Khan SC, in the riveting game.

It was vividly not plain sailing for Alliance Caravans, given they had to put all skills at their disposal in both batting and bowling to ultimately tame the equally well-drilled Aurobindo Aga Khan SC.  

The Jitin Pratap Singh-led Alliance Caravans cruised to 151/5 in the scheduled 20 overs after taking the crease first, once again, substantiating their batting competence, which has been in view for the better part of the showdown.

Opener Amal Rajeevan had a great outing during the innings, ending three runs short of a half-century and successfully complementing a less-convincing outing by fellow top-order batsmen, Singh and Ajith Augastin, who had left the crease in quick succession. 

Rajeevan's early batting exploits had Alliance Caravans moving to 91-4 when the in-form batsman made his way back in the 13th over. Karthik's unbeaten 39 runs, garnered at a strike rate of 229.41, were yet another noticeable performance for the batting side, which moreover had meaningful contributions by Kassim Nassoro, Akhil Anil, and Adersh Dileep.

Nassoro posted 24 runs, Anil scored 16 runs, and Dileep notched an unbeaten 13 runs for the batting squad. Skipper Harsheed Chohan's 3-27 ended up as the best bowling contribution when Aurobindo Aga Khan SC fielded, with Aaryan Premji chipping in with his 2-36.

Chohan's bowling exploits happened to be quite efficient, having taken crucial wickets of no-nonsense Alliance Caravans batsmen Singh and Augastin. Despite boasting a batting firepower, Aurobindo Aga Khan SC could not live up to expectations when chasing 152 runs to come out victorious, eventually falling short after scoring 150/9 in 20 overs.

Solid knocks by experienced cricketers, Riziki Kiseto and Abhik Patwa, plus an equally notable contribution by Lijo Jose, did little to change the course of the match. Kiseto had the best batting figures in his club's less successful chase, nailing 51 runs at a strike rate of 145.71.

Former senior national cricket squad's skipper, Patwa, and Jose, early on, had Aurobindo Aga Khan SC fighting to wrestle back control of the innings after experiencing a wobble at the beginning of the chase.

Patwa notched 39 runs at a strike rate of 177.27 and had Aurobindo Aga Khan SC moving to 46-2 upon his exit in the fifth over, and Jose, who scored 32 runs, propelled them to triple digits, as the squad reached 117-6 when he left the crease in the 17th over.

Chohan as well chipped in with a double-digit effort, scoring 15 runs, as Aurobindo Aga Khan SC vainly fought to dethrone Alliance Caravans.

Karthik's stellar bowling showing, which had him notch 3-24 in his four-over quota, had Alliance Caravans solidly fending off Aurobindo Aga Khan SC's batting attack.

Alliance Caravans' promising cricketer Yalinde Maurice secured 2-27 in four overs, playing a pivotal role in weakening Aurobindo Aga Khan SC's batting resolve.

Kartik was ultimately adjudged the Ras Logistics Player of the Match for his all-round contribution, scoring an unbeaten 39 runs and taking 3-24.

The 2025 Petrofuel TCA Caravans Cup last four was moreover slated to pit RAAH Upanga Club versus Aurobindo Aga Khan SC the same weekend. 

RAAH Upanga Club defeated Harab Motors Pak Stars by four wickets in a match, termed 'Eliminator', to secure qualification for the other 'Qualifier'.

The tournament, organized by Caravans Cricket Club, continues to draw fans and community engagement, highlighting not only top-tier cricket but also strong values of sustainability and social impact.

It is supported by Title Sponsor Petrofuel (T) Limited and a strong consortium of partners.

The tournament is backed by an impressive line-up of supporters. Platinum sponsors include Alliance Insurance, ASAS, Automark, Ras Logistics, and Pepsi.

Franchise sponsors for the eight teams comprise Aurobindo, Park Mobile, Flashnet, Harab Motors, KX Intek, Jiuzhou, and Raah Holdings.

The tournament, moreover, has the backing of a strong network of supporting partners, including Colourflex, Newland, Ashton Media, Ikomg, Rickshaw Travels, Tata, Flying Elephant, and Flightlink.

Garnet Star, Neelkanth Group, Samaki Samaki, Sterling Holidays, Strydol, Suhara, G1 Security, and Holtan Builders, who are also the batch of supporting partners, are continuing to propel the success of the tournament.