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Rinku Singh, the most successful batter for UP this season
Rinku Singh, the southpaw, who hit an unbeaten 57 to help UP win against Chandigarh by 22 runs in the opening game on Thursday, followed it up with an unbeaten 63 against Saurashtra, on Friday.
Rinku Singh’s willow talked, yet again, as he hit another half-century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy, in Gurugram, on Friday, but couldn’t save former champions Uttar Pradesh from facing a thrilling two-run defeat against Saurashtra in an Elite Group E match.
Left-hander Rinku, who scored a half-century in February this year against Karnataka in a Vijay Hazare Trophy tie in Bengaluru, hit an unbeaten 57 to help UP win against Chandigarh by 22 runs in the opening game on Thursday.
On Friday too, Singh did his best, striking an unbeaten 63, which came off 41 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes, but failed to push Uttar Pradesh achieve the 147-run target as his side finished at 145/8 in the stipulated 20 overs.
Facing a quality bowling attack with India discard Jayadev Unadkat leading from the front with 2/35, Uttar Pradesh batters never found the going easy and except Singh. A crucial run out of all-rounder Saurabh Kumar (20, 15b, 1x4, 1x6) in the 18th over changed Uttar Pradesh’s fortunes.
Uttar Pradesh’s wickets fell at regular intervals. Opener Abhishek Goswami was trapped in front of the wicket on the very first ball of the innings by Unadkat and by the time the six-over power play could come to an end, two more batters Madhav Kaushik and skipper Karan Sharma were back in the pavilion, scoring identical 13 runs.
India’s captain at the Under-19 World Cup in 2019, Priyam Garg, once again failed with willow. After scoring just nine in the game against Chandigarh on Thursday, Garg could score just 10 in 13 balls with the help of one boundary before being stumped by Sheldon Jackson of DA Jadeja. Former UP skipper Akshdeep Nath tried to accelerate the run-scoring, striking run-a-ball 19 with two fours, but his innings was cut short by Unadkat, who forced the batter for an easy catch to Parth Bhut.
Saurashtra batters were on target from the very first ball, for after being invited to bat first on the easy surface of Gurugram Cricket Ground, they raced to 51/0 in just 30 balls. Openers Himalaya (23, 22b, 5x4) and Vishvarajsinh Jadeja (26, 20b, 2x4, 1x6) laid a solid foundation, stitching together 53 runs for the first wicket. Thereafter, Prerak Mankad (34*, 30b, 3x4) and Samarth Vyas (29, 28b, 2x4, 2x6) kept the scoreboard ticking and helped the side post a challenging 147/7 in 20 overs.
Pacers Mohsin Khan (2/31) and Shivam Mavi (2/32) bowled well, whereas left-arm orthodox spinner Shivam Sharma bagged 2/20. Uttar Pradesh now play Delhi in Lahli on Saturday.
BRIEF SCORES
Saurashtra 147/7 in 20 overs (P Mankad 34*, S Vyas 29, V Jadeja 26, Himalaya B 23, S Sharma 2/20, M Khan 2/31, S Mavi 3/32) beat Uttar Pradesh 145/8 in 20 overs (R Singh 63*, S Kumar 20, DA Jadeja 2/24, J Unadkat 2/350.
