Bengal and Gujarat have secured their places in the final of the under-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy after dominant semifinal victories.
Bengal showcased a powerful performance, dismantling Chhattisgarh by a resounding 131 runs at the Sanosara Cricket Ground ‘B,’ Rajkot. Vishal Bhati, who bagged his second consecutive player-of-the-match award, was instrumental in Bengal’s triumph. He delivered a remarkable all-round performance, scoring a magnificent 117-ball 111 with eight fours and five sixes, and then claiming three wickets. Bhati’s century was part of a massive 192-run opening partnership with Ankit Chatterjee, who scored 92 runs. Agniswar Das’s quick-fire knock of 42 runs helped Bengal cross the 280-run mark. In response, Chhattisgarh’s batting lineup struggled against Bengal’s bowlers. Off-spinner Ashutosh Kumar and left-arm spinner Bhati combined to take seven wickets, dismissing Chhattisgarh for 154 runs inside 42 overs. Alok Gupta and Pratham Jachak were Chhattisgarh’s top scorers, each contributing 41 runs.
Meanwhile, Gujarat secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Mumbai in the other semifinal. Mumbai, despite a solid performance from Awais Khan (67) and Hrishikesh Gore (66*), were unable to challenge Gujarat’s batting. Rudra Pritesh Patel, Vedant Trivedi, and Rudra Mayur Patel all scored half-centuries for Gujarat to steer them to a comfortable victory.
Bengal last played the final of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy in 2013. The final match between Bengal and Gujarat is scheduled for Saturday at the Sanosara Cricket Ground ‘B,’ Rajkot. It promises to be an exciting contest, with both teams brimming with confidence after their impressive semifinal victories.