Karnataka, Maharashtra progress to Vijay Hazare semifinals
Teenager Arshin Kulkarni struck a composed maiden List A century, while wicketkeeper-batter Nitin Naik hit an explosive unbeaten fifty to power Maharashtra to a handsome win over Punjab at Kotambi Stadium
Vadodara: Four-time champions Karnataka held their nerves to edge out hosts Baroda by five runs, while Maharashtra outplayed Punjab by 70 runs to enter the Vijay Hazare Trophy semifinals here on Saturday.
Teenager Arshin Kulkarni struck a composed maiden List A century, while wicketkeeper-batter Nitin Naik hit an explosive unbeaten fifty to power Maharashtra to a handsome win over Punjab at Kotambi Stadium.
Kulkarni made a 137-ball 107 in a century-plus partnership with Ankit Bawne (60; 85 balls) before Naik’s belligerent knock of 52 not out (29b) at No. 7 lifted them to 275/6. Punjab never posed any threat to the total, losing wickets at regular intervals. Arshdeep Singh was the top-scorer with his 39-ball 49 batting at No. 9 but it was just a matter of time before the innings folded for 205 in 44.4 overs.
The pace duo of Mukesh Choudhary (3/44 from 8 overs) and Pradeep Dadhe (2/31 from 9.4 overs) did the maximum damage for Maharashtra, while Rajneesh Gurbani, Kulkarni, Satyajeet Bachhav and Azim Kazi bagged one wicket each in a complete show by Maharashtra.
Put in, Maharashtra had a disastrous start and were reduced to 8/2 after India’s left-arm pacer Arshdeep delivered a fiery opening spell. The Punjab spearhead cleaned up skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) with a ripper before inducing an edge from Siddhesh Veer (0) to the wicketkeeper in the very next over.
Navigating through the testing phase, young Kulkarni forged a pivotal 145-run partnership with Ankit Bawne (60 off 85 balls), steadying the Maharashtra ship. Kulkarni reached his half-century off 81 balls, gradually accelerating as he pierced the gaps and rotated the strike effectively in his 137-ball knock before becoming Arshdeep’s third victim.
Later, Naik counter-attacked to take the game away from Punjab. The burly wicketkeeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 52 off just 29 balls, including three sixes and three boundaries. His onslaught in the final over against Punjab’s pace ace yielded 24 runs, giving Maharashtra a crucial edge. Arshdeep was brilliant with the new ball, troubling Maharashtra’s top order with his pace and accuracy, which put him in contention for a place in the Champions Trophy squad.
In reply, Punjab lost three wickets inside the powerplay with left-arm seamer Choudhary accounting for the dangerous opening duo of Prabhsimran Singh (14), skipper Abhishek Sharma (19) along with Nehal Wadhera (6).
Anmolpreet Singh tried to forge a partnership and batted with caution but was bowled by Kulkarni as Punjab struggled for a partnership.
Arshdeep put on a fifty-plus stand with Sanvir Singh and looked prime for a maiden List A fifty but Dadhe dismissed him one run shy of the mark that also sealed their win.
Karnataka beat Baroda in thriller
Opener Devdutt Padikkal marked his return to domestic cricket with a scintillating century before Prasidh Krishna’s game-changing spell in the death overs propelled Karnataka to a thrilling win over Baroda.
Opting to bowl, Baroda, led by Krunal Pandya, faced an in-form Padikkal, who anchored the Karnataka innings with a superb 102 off 99 balls. Supported by KV Aneesh’s solid 52 off 64 balls, Karnataka posted a challenging total of 281/8 in their 50 overs.
Baroda, in reply, seemed well on course to chase the target as opener Shashwat Rawat led the charge with a composed century. Rawat’s 104 kept Baroda in the hunt, and they needed just 44 runs from the last five overs with the set batter still at the crease. However, Prasidh Krishna (2/60) turned the match on its head in the 47th over.
He first dismissed the dangerous Rawat with a short ball that the batter gloved to the keeper. On the fifth ball of the same over, Krishna removed Mahesh Pithiya to dent Baroda’s hopes further.
Baroda entered the final over needing 12 runs with two wickets in hand. But panic set in, and the duo of Raj Limbani and Bhargav Bhatt found themselves run out in four balls while attempting risky runs. Left-arm pacer Abhilash Shetty (2/70 in 9.5 overs) held his nerves in a tense final over to seal a dramatic victory for Karnataka.
Brief scores: Maharashtra 275/6 in 50 overs (Arshin Kulkarni 107, Ankit Bawne 60, Nikhil Naik 52 no; Arshdeep Singh 3/56, Naman Dhir 2/29) bt Punjab 205 in 44.4 overs (Arshdeep 49; Mukesh Choudhary 3/44, Pradeep Dadhe 2/31);
Karnataka 281/8 in 50 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 102, KV Aneesh 52; Atit Sheth 3/41, Raj Limbani 3/47) bt Baroda 276 in 49.5 overs (Shashwat Rawat 104, Atit Sheth 56; Vasuki Koushik 2/39, Prasidh Krishna 2/60).
