Tillo Cup 2025: Union Sporting Tops Group A to Reach Semifinals

Union Sporting has stormed into the semifinals of the Tillo Cup 2025 as the top-ranked team in Group A after an unbeaten run in the group stage. The home side secured three wins in three matches, finishing ahead of second-placed Canara Bank.

The tournament is being held at the Hanuman Jew Mini Stadium in Tillo, Bhadrak, Odisha. Union Sporting boasts a strong squad featuring several former Ranji Trophy and domestic cricket stars from Odisha, including Sarbeswar Mohanty, Saurabh Kanojia, Niranjan Jayaram Behera, and Girija Ganeswar Rout.

Among the experienced players, Niranjan Jayaram Behera stands out as the most accomplished. A seasoned cricketer, he has played 71 First-Class matches, amassing 3,269 runs with three centuries and 27 half-centuries while also claiming 34 wickets. In List A cricket, Behera has featured in 34 matches, scoring 699 runs and taking 29 wickets, while in the T20 format, he has played 16 games, contributing 383 runs and picking up 20 wickets. The former Odisha stalwart has also represented East Zone and India Green in domestic cricket and brings immense experience to the Union Sporting squad.

Union Sporting's dominant performances in the group stage included a convincing 42-run win over JP Sports, a six-wicket victory against Lightning Legends, and a closely fought match against Canara Bank. With the home crowd backing them, they now look forward to making a strong push for the title in the knockout stage.

Union Sporting Tillo Cup 2025 Squad

Sarbeswar Mohanty, Badal Biswal, Binayak Sahu, Sekhar Majhi, Arnab Pattnaik, Suvam Priyadarshini, Biswajit Pradhan, Tapendra Singh, Sourav Kanojia, Kameswar Barik, Aravind Singh, Niranjan Behera, Girija Rout