Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2025 kicked off with a promising half-century from Macneil Noronha, an all-rounder of Mangalore Dragons. The tournament is mainly established for the local talents to grow and shine; the match-winning fifty from Macneil has set a prime example of the purpose of the competition.
Who is Macneil Noronha, and how is he able to make headlines?
Macneil Hadley Noronha, commonly known as Macneil Noronha, is a well-known cricketer from Karnataka. At the age of only 23, he cemented his position as one of the most promising cricketers from the state. The all-rounder, who can deliver a right-arm off-break, is mainly known for his aggressive nature of batting. Even in tough conditions, he never hesitates to swing his blade. Today (August 11, 2025), when he went to bat in the tournament opener to face Gulbarga Mystics, naturally he could feel the pressure on his shoulders.
Mangalore was in a tight position during the initial stage of the game. Noronha not only handled the situation with good manners but also pushed his team to register a handsome total batting first. He scored 53 off 28, powered by three 4s and four 6s, with a strike rate of 189.29. Because of the middle-order batter’s heroic knock, Mangalore managed to get 180 on the scoreboard against 8 wickets. Last year too, Macneil played multiple entertaining innings with Dragons. If he is somehow able to find the path to maintain this form, Noronha can be the next big thing from Karnataka.
Read More: MAHARAJA T20 TROPHY 2025: SCHEDULE, TEAMS, WHERE TO WATCH, AND MORE
Summary of the match
As it was predicted before, the rivalry between the Gulbarga Mystics and the Mangalore Dragons reached an intense level, especially during the first innings. Vijaykumar Vyshak, the captain and the lead bowler of Gulbarga Mystics, clinched a brace at an average of only 7.00. Along with Noronha’s important knock, Lochan Gowda (27) and skipper Shreyas Gopal (20*) added notable runs to achieve the total of 180.
The target was chaseable, but Gopal and Kranthi Kumar utilized the deck well and never allowed the opposition team’s batsmen to settle down on the track. Therefore, the Gulbarga Mystics failed to create a significant partnership that could lead them to the target. Gopal dismantled the top order of Gulbarga while Kumar struck in the middle order. In the process they got 3 wickets each to gift Mangalore Dragons a win by 33 runs. After scoring the half-century, Macneil took a wicket as well.
