Patna: Bihar suffered a massive 108-run defeat against Rajasthan in their opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot. After winning the toss and opting to field, Bihar struggled to contain Rajasthan, who posted a formidable 224 for 4 in their 20 overs, thanks to half-centuries by Abhijeet Tomar and skipper Mahipal Lomror. In reply, Bihar could only manage 116 for 8, falling far short of the target.
Abhijeet Tomar led Rajasthan’s charge with a superb 64, while Lomror remained unbeaten on 51. Zahoor Khan played a quickfire knock of 49 not out, and BS Sharma added 27. Bihar’s bowlers had a tough day, with Sakib Hussain (1 for 41) and Mrityunjay Singh (1 for 36) the only wicket-takers. Amod Yadav was expensive, conceding 55 runs in his three overs, while Paramjit Singh and Gani also struggled to contain the onslaught.
Bihar’s chase got off to a disastrous start, losing opener Bipin Saurabh for a duck. Brief contributions came from Raghavendra Pratap (21), Sakib Gani (20), and Ayush Loharika (19), but no batter could anchor the innings. Himanshu Singh (11 not out) and Sakib Hussain (12 not out) remained unbeaten, but the target proved insurmountable.
Rajasthan’s bowlers delivered a clinical performance, with DL Chahar, RD Chahar, and MJ Suthar picking up two wickets each. Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Mahipal Lomror also chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Bihar will look to regroup ahead of their next match against Punjab on 25 November.
