NEW DELHI: Despite Yuzvendra Chahal's potential disappointment over being overlooked by selectors for the T20I series against Australia, the leg-spinner channeled his frustration positively during Haryana's Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign in Ahmedabad.
In a stellar performance, the 33-year-old claimed a remarkable six-wicket haul (10-2-26-6), helping Haryana restrict Uttarakhand to 207 in their Group C match. Chahal's outstanding bowling display also marked his achievement of reaching 200 List A wickets, possibly enhancing his visibility on the selectorial radar.
For Uttarakhand, Aditya Tare, the wicketkeeper-batsman, contributed 67 runs, while opener Kunal Chandela added 47. However, Chahal's exceptional form dominated as he dismantled the rest of the batting order.
In the chase, Haryana's openers, Yuvraj Singh (68) and Ankit Kumar (49), provided a solid foundation, and captain Ashok Maneria's unbeaten 44 ensured a comfortable six-wicket victory for Haryana.
Kerala prevail over Saurashtra
In Group A, Kerala faced a challenging battle before securing a hard-fought three-wicket victory over Saurashtra at Alur-KSCA Oval in Bengaluru.
Saurashtra, aided by a resilient 98 off 121 balls from Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, recovered admirably from a precarious position at 65 for 7. Despite the cloudy skies and a freshly-laid pitch, they managed to post a competitive total of 185.
Kerala's debutant, Akhin, played a pivotal role in their bowling attack, claiming 4 for 39. His impressive performance rocked the top order of their opponents, showcasing good pace and bounce.
While chasing, Kerala encountered some difficulties and found themselves at 61 for 4 in the 17th over. However, a composed half-century by Abdul Bazith (60 off 76 balls) and an unbeaten 21 by Shreyas Gopal steered them past the target with 14 balls to spare, ultimately securing the crucial victory.
Mumbai outclass Sikkim
In a Group A encounter at Alur 2 in Bengaluru, Mumbai dominated as pacer Tushar Deshpande's three-wicket performance led to a comprehensive 7-wicket victory over Sikkim.
Deshpande's impressive figures of 3 for 19 played a crucial role as Mumbai bowled out Sikkim for a mere 89 runs in 38.1 overs.
Subsequently, Mumbai efficiently chased down the target in just 12 overs, with opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi contributing significantly with a quick 28-ball 30. The convincing win showcased Mumbai's bowling prowess and batting efficiency in the Group A contest.
Harshit, Ishant shine for Delhi
In a Group C match at Motera 'A' in Ahmedabad, veteran pacer Ishant Sharma (3/30), his younger colleague Harshit Rana (4/17) and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (3/19) combined to bowl out Bihar for 149.
Skipper Yash Dhull and openers Anuj Rawat and Priyansh Arya made well-timed knocks as Delhi cantered to the target in just over 22 overs.
Mayank, Samarth spur Karnataka
Openers Mayank Agarwal and Ravikumar Samarth fired in tandem to make big hundreds as Karnataka started their campaign with a big 222-run win over Jammu and Kashmir at Motera 'B' ground in Ahmedabad in a Group C match.
Samarth (123 off 120 balls, 11x4, 2x6), Agarwal (157 off 133 balls, 11x4, 8x6) and Devdutt Padikkal (71, 35 balls, 4x4, 5x6) spurred Karnataka to a mammoth 402 for 2.
It was also their highest-ever List A total.
Pacer Vysakh Vijayakumar then grabbed four wickets as Karnataka bundled out J&K for 180.
All-round Bengal hammer Nagaland
In a Group E match at BKC, Mumbai, captain Sudip Kumar Gharami, who made a 44-ball 62, and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who struck 57 off 63 balls, assisted Bengal to overcome a mediocre target posted by Nagaland for a nine-wicket victory.
Earlier, pacers Saksham Chaudhary (3/23) and Akash Deep (2/24) shared five wickets among them to bowl out Nagaland to a lowly 139 in 47 overs.
Brief scores:
Group B: Maharashtra: 355 for 4 in 50 overs (Ankit Bawane 107, Om Bhosale 73, A.N. Kazi 61) lost to Jharkhand: 359 for 4 in 49 overs (Virat Singh 143, V. Vishal 53, Saurabh Tiwary 70 not out, Kumar Kushagra 67 not out) by 6 wickets.
(With PTI inputs)
