Released RCB batter Swastik Chikara scores 195* off 69 balls for Gomti Thunder against Hindon Titans in Ayodhya Premier League.
In the match, Gomti Thunder batted first with Swastik Chikara and Priyanshu Pandey opening the innings. Both openers attacked every bowler and scored centuries. Priyanshu scored 100 not out off 54 balls. But the bigger impact came from Swastik Chikara, who smashed 195 not out off just 69 balls, including 11 fours and 21 sixes, with a strike rate of 282.6. Both openers remained unbeaten as Gomti Thunder finished their 20 overs at 307 for 0.
In reply, Hindon Titans were bowled out for 218. Ritik Srivastava and Avanindra Verma took three wickets each, while Prabhakar Sahani and Atif Sajid took two wickets each. Swastik bowled three overs but did not take a wicket. Gomti Thunder won the match by 89 runs.
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Swastik Chikara was picked by RCB for INR 30 lakh in the IPL 2025 auction. He did not get a chance to play and was released by the franchise after the season. Later, he went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction as no team bid for him.
He had a good UP T20 League 2025 season, scoring 370 runs in 13 matches at an average of 30.83, though his strike rate was 123.33.
He could still get a chance to play in the upcoming IPL season if a team picks him as an injury replacement. Ahead of the new season, most teams are dealing with injuries, mainly to all-rounders and bowlers. If a batter becomes unavailable and Swastik continues performing like this, he could get an opportunity.
Earlier this month, in the AIPS Cricket T20 tournament, he scored two half-centuries while playing for FCI. Even though these are small leagues, he has been scoring consistently, which is a good sign. He might catch the attention of IPL franchises if they need a player as replacment.
Speaking of RCB, they will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on the opening day, March 28, against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. They will play five matches in Bengaluru, while the other two are expected to be played in Raipur.
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