Alankrith Rapole guides Hyderabad to Vinoo Mankad Trophy win with unbeaten 58
Alankrith Rapole’s unbeaten 58* led Hyderabad to a five-wicket victory over Punjab in the final of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. Despite a strong five-wicket haul by Ishan Sood, Punjab was restricted to just 111 runs
Hyderabad: Alankrith Rapole scored a fine unbeaten 58 (70b, 5×4, 2×6) to help Hyderabad, coached by former Hyderabad star Bavanaka Sandeep, record a five-wicket win against Punjab in the final of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy (under-19) one-day cricket championship at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Saturday.
Put in to bat, Punjab’s batting never really clicked, except for useful contributions from opener Vihaan (28, 28b, 3×4) and captain Aryan Yadav (29, 54b, 3×4). Hyderabad bowlers Malik (2/21), Nipun Reddy (2/24), Uzair Ahmed (2/25) struck at regular intervals, with V. Yashveer (3/22) being the top wicket-taker.
In reply, Hyderabad suffered early blows and were reduced to 26 for 5 in 4.5 overs, losing captain and opener Aaron George (0), Wafi Kachchhi (1), Karan Yadav (6), Si Sharan (0), and Aryan Reddy (0) cheaply.
Interestingly, all five wickets were picked by Ishan Sood (5/18).
Then, Aawez Ahmed (35* batting, 85b, 4×4) joined Alankrith and the pair put on a match-winning 85-run partnership for the sixth wicket, which turned out to be the game-changer.
“May this victory serve as an inspiration to every aspiring cricketer in Telangana, reaffirming that dedication and teamwork can lead to greatness. I wish the players continued success and look forward to seeing them bring further laurels to Hyderabad and Indian cricket,” he said.
The scores:
Punjab: 111 in 28.2 overs (Vihaan 27, Aryan Yadav 29, Malik 2/21, Nipun Reddy 2/24, Uzair Ahmed 2/25, V. Yashveer 3/22)
Hyderabad: 112/5 in 29.3 overs (Alankrith Rapole 58* batting, Aawez Ahmed 35* batting, Ishan Sood 5/18)
