Delhi prevailed over Jharkhand by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller to advance to the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Chasing 200 for victory in the second semifinal at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Delhi crossed the line with two balls to spare. Pawan Negi remained unbeaten on 39, as he and Navdeep Saini added 51 crucial runs in their unbroken ninth-wicket partnership. The pair was united at 149 for eight, after Delhi had collapsed following Gautam Gambhir's exit.
But Negi showed composure, mixing caution with aggression, as Jharkhand — a bowler short following Rahul Shukla's injury early in the innings — fought hard but failed. Delhi will now meet Mumbai in Saturday's final.
Earlier, Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya had run through Jharkhand's top order to reduce the side to 85 for six. It was only due to the efforts of 20-year-old Virat Singh, who made 71 (91b), that the total gained a measure of respectability.
