Parikshit Valsangkar and Akash Parkar lived up to their reputations as reliable all-rounders to keep defending champions Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the hunt for a semi-final berth in the second edition of T20 Mumbai.

The duo's impressive efforts with bat and ball helped Knights pocket the must-win game against Eagle Thane Strikers by 38 runs on Saturday. While Valsangkar's quick-fire 39 (24b, 6x4, 1x6) at No. 3 gave the Knights the early impetus, Parkar's powerful 34 (20b, 1x4, 3x6) — aided by in-form Karan More's 36 (26b, 4x4) — gave the team a perfect finish to post a decent 162 for seven.