HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 1: In a nail-biting quarterfinal clash at the IS Bindra Cricket Stadium, Mohali, Assam emerged victorious over Kerala, sealing their place in the semifinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Opting to field after winning the toss, Assam’s bowlers put up a stellar performance to restrict Kerala to a competitive total of 158/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Salman Nizar played a crucial unbeaten inning of 57 off 44 balls, supported by Abdul Bazith’s 54 in 42 balls and Vishnu Vinod’s quickfire 16 off 12 balls.
Assam’s bowling attack, led by Akash Sengupta (3/29), Mrinmoy Dutta (2/41), and Mukhtar Hussain (1/30), effectively curbed Kerala’s batting prowess.
In response, Assam displayed an impressive batting performance, chasing down the target with 17 balls to spare. SC Ghadigaonkar stole the show with a magnificent 75 off 50 balls, while Sibsankar Roy’s brisk 42 off 22 balls and Rishav Das’s 14 off 13 balls further propelled Assam’s pursuit of victory.
Despite efforts from Kerala’s bowlers Sijomon Joseph and Asif K M, they couldn’t halt Assam’s march to victory.
Ghadigaokar’s outstanding performance rightfully earned him the Player of the Match honor.
This thrilling win marks Assam’s first-ever entry into the semifinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Assam is now set to face Baroda in the second semifinal scheduled for November 4.
