Gujarat rose to the occasion beating Uttar Pradesh by 34 runs in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 Group A Super league.
Batting first, the host piled up 184 for four in its 20 overs, with Priyank Panchal top-scoring with 77 off 52 balls. The bowlers then turned on the heat, with medium-pacer Panchal underlining his utility again with figures of four for 19. The all-rounder also chipped in with four out of the seven catches taken.
UP was 86 for four in 10.1 overs at one stage, but tumbled to 150 all out in 20 overs. Both sides have eight points from two wins in three matches. Goa and Haryana also have the same tally with one game remaining. Saturday’s ties will determine the group topper.
Panchal’s outstanding performance came in just his third T20 match at the first-class level. “I got selected because Parthiv Patel is away for the IPL,” said the 24-year-old from Ahmedabad.
Gujarat captain Smit Patel chose to bat after winning the toss, with Panchal flexing his muscles with 12 boundaries in a rapid-fire stand of 75 for the first wicket.
Smit was then run out, while Himalay Barad was stumped. Panchal was the fourth wicket to fall at 140, leaving the stage for the Gujarat hitters to swing into action. Chirag Gandhi (23 n.o., 8b, 3x6) and Rohit Dahiya (25 n.o., 13b, 2x4, 1x6) also chipped in.
Jharkhand outclassedGoa outclassed Jharkhand by 58 runs for its second win in three games and took its points tally to eight. The latter has now lost all its four matches. Haryana will face UP, while Goa takes on Gujarat in the concluding Group A matches.
The scores:
Gujarat 184 for four in 20 overs (Priyank Panchal 77, Rajdeep Darbar 36, Chirag Gandhi 25) bt Uttar Pradesh 150 in 20 overs (Mukul Dagar 58, Akshdeep Nath 27, Praveen Kumar 26; Priyank Panchal four for 19, Rujul Bhatt three for 15). Gujarat 4, UP 0 .
Goa 172 for four in 20 overs (Swapnil Asnodkar 57, Sagun Kamat 40) bt Jharkhand 114 for eight in 20 overs (Kaushal Singh 42, S.P. Gautham 30; Gauresh Gawas three for 18, Darshan Misal two for 15). Goa 4, Jharkhand 0 .
