Madhya Pradesh, Baroda clinch semi-final spots in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Alur (Karnataka) [India], December 11 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh chased down a target of 174 against Saurashtra, securing victory with four balls and six wickets to spare. This win propelled them into their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-final since the 2010-11 season.
Harpreet Singh and Venkatesh Iyer were instrumental in Madhya Pradesh's successful chase. Venkatesh was named "Player of the Match" for his all-round performance, finishing unbeaten on 38 runs off 33 deliveries and earlier claiming 2 for 23 in his three-over spell. Harpreet provided a late surge with a quickfire 22 not out off just nine balls, ensuring a smooth finish to the chase.
The foundation of the chase was laid by contributions from Arpit Gaud, who scored 42 off 29 balls, Subhranshu Senapati with 24 off 16, and captain Rajat Patidar's brisk 28 off 18 deliveries. Their efforts kept Madhya Pradesh in a strong position throughout.
On the Saurashtra side, Chirag Jani's unbeaten 80 off 45 balls stood out. His innings, featuring eight fours and four sixes, helped Saurashtra reach a competitive total of 173. However, support from the rest of the batting lineup was limited, with Harvik Desai and Jay Gohil being the next highest scorers, both contributing 17 runs.
Jani's late onslaught was particularly impressive, amassing 45 runs in the last three overs. His powerful hitting, including two fours and two sixes from the 18th over onwards, gave Saurashtra a fighting chance. However, their total proved insufficient against Madhya Pradesh's determined batting lineup.
Madhya Pradesh's triumph marked a significant milestone as they advanced to the semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, showcasing a blend of strategic batting and effective bowling to outclass Saurashtra in a thrilling encounter.
In the other quarter-final, Baroda defeated Bengal by 41 runs to secure their place in the semi-finals. Lukman Meriwala was named "Player of the Match" for his crucial three-wicket haul.
Bengal won the toss and opted to field first. Baroda's openers started aggressively, building a 90-run stand. Abhimanyusingh Rajput was the first to fall, scoring 37 before being dismissed by Saksham Choudhary. His opening partner, who scored 40, was sent back by Pradipta Pramanik at 90/1.
Baroda's captain, Krunal Pandya, managed only 7 runs off 11 balls before Pramanik struck again. Hardik Pandya contributed 10 runs before being dismissed by Kanishk Seth. Bhanu Pania added 17 before Seth claimed his wicket, leaving Baroda at 149/5.
Shivalik Sharma added 24 runs before being dismissed by Mohammed Shami, while Atit Sheth fell for a golden duck, also to Shami. Baroda finished their innings at 172/7.
Chasing 173, Bengal's innings faltered early. Karan Lal was bowled for 6 by Meriwala, while Sudip Kumar Gharami was trapped LBW for 2 by the same bowler. Writtick Chatterjee was also dismissed by Meriwala, leaving Bengal in trouble.
Abhishek Porel managed 22 runs before falling to Sheth, reducing Bengal to 31/4. A 54-run partnership between Ritwik Roy Chowdhury and Shahbaz Ahmed provided some resistance, but Roy Chowdhury was dismissed for 29 off 18 balls. Pramanik was dismissed for 3 by Rajput, leaving Bengal at 91/6 in 11.3 overs.
Bengal reached 100 in 12.1 overs before Saksham Choudhary was dismissed for 7 by Hardik Pandya. Mohammed Shami fell for a duck as Hardik picked up his third wicket. Sayan Ghosh was also out for a duck, with Seth claiming his third wicket.
Bengal were eventually all out for 131. Meriwala's exceptional bowling figures of 3/17 played a key role in Baroda's victory, securing their place in the semi-finals. (ANI)