Patna: Madhya Pradesh secured a commanding eight-wicket victory over Bihar in their final Group A match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20, held at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. This match marked the conclusion of the tournament for both teams, with Bihar ending their campaign with two wins and five losses from seven matches.
After winning the toss, Bihar opted to bat first and managed to post 117 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Sakibul Gani led the scoring with 27 runs off 32 balls, hitting three boundaries. Ayush Lohruka contributed a quick 25 runs off 17 balls, which included one four and two sixes. Baljeet Singh Bihari added 21 runs from 20 balls with a four and a six, while Dayanand Singh scored 10 runs off 19 balls. The rest of the batting lineup struggled, with Bipin Saurabh and Sachin Kumar Singh scoring just 3 runs each, Kumar Rajneesh making 8, and Prashant Kumar Singh managing only 1 run. Himanshu Singh (5*) and Nawaz (1*) remained unbeaten, while Gajendra Singh was dismissed without scoring.
Madhya Pradesh’s bowling attack was effective in restricting Bihar to a modest total. Tripuresh Singh and Kumar Kartikeya Singh each claimed two wickets, conceding 14 runs apiece, while Avesh Khan also took two wickets, giving away 17 runs. Venkatesh Iyer contributed with a wicket for 19 runs.
Chasing 118, Madhya Pradesh comfortably reached the target in 17.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. Harsh Gawli played a steady innings, scoring 36 runs off 37 balls, including two fours and a six. Shubhranshu Senapati remained unbeaten on 32 runs off 37 balls, while Venkatesh Iyer showcased his aggressive batting with an unbeaten 27 runs off just 15 balls, striking four boundaries. Arpit Gaur also chipped in with 21 runs off 16 balls, including three fours.
For Bihar, Gajendra Singh was the sole successful bowler, taking 2 wickets for 33 runs in his four overs. Despite economical spells from Prashant Kumar Singh (14 runs in 3.3 overs) and Nawaz Khan (29 runs in 3 overs), Bihar’s bowlers were unable to prevent Madhya Pradesh’s comfortable chase.
Venkatesh Iyer was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, contributing both with the ball and an impactful unbeaten knock to steer his team to victory.
