GYMKHANA cricketers are inching closer to booking a place in this year's Caravans Cup thanks to the side's eight-wicket thrashing of Dar Indian Titans in the qualifying showdown clash in Dar es Salaam recently.

In the low-scoring clash, Dar Indian Titans could not make the most of their innings, once they were put in to bat first by Gymkhana, ending up notching 82/10 in 18.3 overs of the 20-over match.

A quartet of Ravikant Sharma, Divyansh Sain, Ally Hafidh, and Emmanuel Laurent so far posted two-digit figures in what was arguably a less convincing performance by the Dar Indian Titans.

Sharma garnered 14 runs, clearing the boundary once, and was the batsman with the most runs.

Sain posted 12 runs, Hafidh made his way back with 11 runs, with the youthful Laurent chipping in with 10 runs at a strike rate of 62.50.

Failure of the openers, Kishan Chandra and Nehra, to put up a significant showing meant the search for a bigger score was bestowed on the remainder of the batting unit, and the latter could not do much.

The opening batting duo left the crease after just 2.3 overs and fellow members of the batting unit's top five, Laurent and Hafidh, somewhat spared the former's blushes.

The Dar Indian Titans cricketers' total was bolstered by 14 extras leaked by Gymkhana.

Sai Surya garnered 2-4 to propel Gymkhana's bowling unit to a successful quest for restricting Dar Indian Titans' figure to a manageable total.

There were, moreover, stellar stats put up by Nikila Nishanga and Dharmin Parmar as Gymkhana bowlers ran rings around Dar Indian Titans' batting unit.

Nishanga ended his quota with 2-7, with the cricketer finishing with 3.50. Parmar wound up with 2-5 in his three overs.

Needing just 83 runs from 20 overs to boost their quest for participation in the 2025 Caravans Cup, Gymkhana smoothly got down to victory whilst dropping two wickets in 10.1 overs.

Nishanga was the most impressive player in the successful pursuit of the opponents' figure, as he ended six runs short of a half century whilst boasting a not out showing.

Team captain Amit Raghuvanshi was equally in good form, blasting 21 runs at a strike rate of 161.54.

A brief stint by Arman Khan, slotted in at number three, was hardly a setback to Gymkhana, whose chase for the win was eventually sealed by Nishanga and Harsheel Shah (seven runs not out).

The qualifying showdown has Gymkhana leading the rest of the pack, amassing a 3.4374 Net Run Rate from two wins.

They got their search for a place in the tournament proper off to a great start, grabbing a comprehensive 69-run win over Patel Brotherhood A.

Patel Brotherhood A holds the second spot, posting a -1.0598 Net Run Rate from one win and one loss.

Third-placed Dar Indian Titans are winless in both games, ending up with -2.8167 Net Run Rate.

It will be a second appearance for Gymkhana, should they triumph in the ongoing Caravans Qualifiers.

Gymkhana had also sailed through to the last edition of the tournament via the qualifiers.