The dominoes fell astoundingly in favor of Mumbai as Jay Gokul Bista’s unbeaten 144 carved a clear path to victory in Group A of the domestic cricket campaign. The formidable score of 324 was bolstered by Suved Parkar’s supportive half-century and Prasad Pawar’s rapid 41 off 17 balls. This torrent of runs proved too steep a climb for the Railways, who despite a valiant 102 off 70 balls from Upendra Yadav and Vivek Singh’s 95 off 91 stumbled before the finishing line, the scorecard freezing at 26 runs shy of the mark. Among the ensemble of Mumbai’s victors was Mohit Avasthi, who skilfully clinched 4 wickets for 53 runs.
In the serene locale of Alur, an unexpected but resolute performance from Tripura saw them triumph by a mammoth 148 runs over Saurashtra. Half-centuries from Bikramkumar Das, Sudip Chatterjee, and G Satish proved significant, propelling Tripura to 258. The bowling flair of Joydeb Deb, who claimed 5 wickets for a mere 15 runs, sent Saurashtra into disarray, their chase collapsing at a paltry 110, with the veteran Cheteshwar Pujara’s contribution capping at 24 – the highest of the innings.
The day’s narrative in Group A further unfolded with Puducherry swiftly outplaying Sikkim. Meanwhile, Kerala savored a well-deserved win against Odisha underpinned by Vishnu Vinod’s sterling 120 and Shreyas Gopal’s bowling prowess, accounting for four wickets.
Transitioning to Group B, Vidarbha emerged as the epitome of clinical play, securing their third consecutive win of the season through a curtailed match against Maharashtra at the KL Saini Ground in Jaipur. Force of nature Darshan Nalkande obliterated hopes with an impeccable 5 for 34, leaving Maharashtra hemmed in at 255/8 within a truncated 40 overs. The chase, now adjusted, was skillfully executed as Vidarbha’s batsmen notched up four half-centuries en route to a conclusive victory.
Continuing with the group, Kumar Deobrat’s striking 164 was instrumental in leading Jharkhand to a sizeable victory in a match that saw Meghalaya employ as many as nine bowlers. Over at the Sawai Man Singh stadium, a showdown unfolded as Rohit Rayudu’s composed century seemed poised to set the stage for Hyderabad, but Chattisgarh had other plans. Rishabh Tiwari’s explosive innings cemented their win, comfortably breaching the target with balls to spare.
Group C beheld Karnataka showcasing a masterclass in bowling against Delhi. A dominating six-wicket win ensued thanks to a concerted effort from Vidwath Kaverappa and V Koushik, who bagged three scalps each, restraining a floundering Delhi to a mere 143 – a figure crafted mostly by Ayush Badoni’s fighting century. In pursuit, Devdutt Padikkal displayed impeccable form, breezing to a 69-ball 70 to secure the win.
Haryana paralleled Karnataka’s winning momentum by registering their third triumph. An outstanding 115 from Ankit Kumar set Haryana on the course to 295. Gaurav Puri’s 76 stood out, but Chandigarh’s overall chase lacked substance, culminating in an 84-run loss. The group’s actions concluded with Uttarakhand notching a substantial win in a rain-affected match against Mizoram, while J&K’s game against Bihar was called off due to a wet outfield.
Group D saw Rajasthan defend a modest total of 211 against Uttar Pradesh, with Rahul Chahar’s five-wicket haul and Khaleel Ahmed’s triple strike proving decisive. Despite a sturdy bowling display from Bhuvneshwar Kumar for UP, who secured 4 wickets giving away only 20 runs, the batting department faltered and crumbled to 151 all-out.
The narrative took a dramatic turn at the Mahajan Cricket Academy Ground in Chandigarh, as Urvil Patel blasted an unbeaten 41-ball 100 for Gujarat. His whirlwind century came just one day after his release from the Gujarat Titans and now stands as the second-fastest List A hundred by an Indian batter, shadowed only by Yusuf Pathan’s record.
Group E saw a bowling masterclass by Tamil Nadu, led by Sandeep Warrier’s 4 for 23 against Bengal, who could muster only 84. TN’s chase, albeit with a few hiccups, was anchored by N Jagadeesan’s composed 30. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh managed to squeeze past Punjab in a low-scoring fixture, where 177 proved enough on account of a combined demolition act by Arshad Khan and Kumar Kartikeya, who snagged three wickets each.