Patna: Bihar’s junior cricketers lifted the spirits of local fans with a thrilling victory over Kerala in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19 Men’s One Day Cricket Tournament. Following the disappointment of Bihar’s recent Ranji Trophy defeat, this 29-run win was a welcome boost.
Bihar, competing in Pool C, currently sits in fourth place on the points table with 8 points. The group is led by Madhya Pradesh, with Kerala trailing behind Bihar.
Captain Mohammad Alam and Prithvi Raj showcased excellent performances. Alam scored 38 runs and took four wickets, while Prithvi Raj contributed 24 runs and claimed three wickets. Bharat Chitodiya also made an impact, scoring 19 runs and taking two wickets.
The match, held at the ECIL ground in Hyderabad, saw Bihar win the toss and choose to bat first. However, the opening pair struggled, with Mohammad Taufiq dismissed for a duck and Aditya Sinha following shortly after with 7 runs.
Mohammad Alam and Deepesh Gupta steadied the innings with a crucial 61-run partnership. Bihar’s third wicket fell when Deepesh Gupta was dismissed for 26 runs with the team’s score at 78. Shortly after, Mohammad Alam was also dismissed, having scored 38 runs from 57 balls.
Following their departures, Prithvi Raj, Hemant Singh, and Suman Saurabh contributed valuable runs. Lower-order batsman Bharat Chitodiya helped push the team’s total to 174 before Bihar was bowled out in 30.5 overs. Prithvi Raj made 24 runs from 23 balls, Hemant Singh added 16, Suman Saurabh contributed 26, and Bharat Chitodiya scored 19.
For Kerala, Aaditya Baiju took 4 wickets for 44 runs, Mohammad Jasil claimed 1 for 22, Mohammad Enan took 2 for 33, and Altaf S secured 1 for 28.
Chasing 175, Kerala was bowled out for 145 runs in 28.3 overs. Key contributions for Kerala included Shafan F (32), Roshan N Nair (22), Saurabh S (21), and Altaf S (16).
Bihar’s bowling attack, led by Mohammad Alam with 4 wickets for 21 runs, proved decisive. Prithvi Raj took 3 wickets for 25 runs, while Bharat Chitodiya picked up 2 for 27, sealing a memorable win for Bihar.
