Patna: In the Vijay Hazare Trophy List-A tournament, Kerala secured a commanding 133-run victory over Bihar in their final league match at Jhumka Ground, Hyderabad.
Opting to bat first, Kerala set a competitive total of 266 for 8 in 50 overs. Mohammed Azharuddeen anchored the innings with a solid 88 runs, supported by Salman Nazir’s 52 and Akhil’s unbeaten 54. Their contributions helped Kerala reach a defendable score despite consistent pressure from Bihar’s bowlers.
For Bihar, Prashant Kumar Singh and Sakibul Ghani shared the bowling honours, each claiming three wickets. Prashant conceded 66 runs in his 10-over spell, while Sakibul gave away 56 runs in his 10 overs. Himanshu also bowled economically, taking 1 wicket for 41 runs in his full quota.
Chasing 267, Bihar faltered early and could not recover, folding for 133 runs in 41.2 overs. Sakibul Ghani top-scored with 31 runs off 45 balls, hitting one six and two fours. Rishav managed 20 runs from 57 balls with two boundaries, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi added a brisk 18 off 18 balls, including two fours and a six. Suraj Kashyap contributed 15 runs from 16 balls, but the rest of the line-up failed to make significant contributions.
Kerala’s bowlers delivered an outstanding performance to defend their total. A.A. Sarawate was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for just 23 runs in his 10 overs. Abdul Bazith also shone with figures of 3 for 20 in 9.2 overs, while the remaining bowlers chipped in to clean up the Bihar batting order.
This was Bihar’s final game in the tournament. Out of six matches, they managed only one victory, losing five, and are now eliminated from the competition. Kerala’s dominant display keeps their campaign alive as they move forward in the tournament.
