Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Madhya Pradesh, Baroda clinch semi-final spots

Madhya Pradesh chased down a target of 174 against Saurashtra, securing victory with four balls and six wickets to spare. This win propelled them into their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-final since the 2010-11 season.

Harpreet Singh and Venkatesh Iyer were instrumental in Madhya Pradesh’s successful chase. Venkatesh was named “Player of the Match” for his all-round performance, finishing unbeaten on 38 runs off 33 deliveries and earlier claiming 2 for 23 in his three-over spell. Harpreet provided a late surge with a quickfire 22 not out off just nine balls, ensuring a smooth finish to the chase.

In the other quarter-final, Baroda defeated Bengal by 41 runs to secure their place in the semi-finals. Lukman Meriwala was named “Player of the Match” for his crucial three-wicket haul.

Chasing 173, Bengal’s innings faltered early. Karan Lal was bowled for 6 by Meriwala, while Sudip Kumar Gharami was trapped LBW for 2 by the same bowler. Writtick Chatterjee was also dismissed by Meriwala, leaving Bengal in trouble. Bengal were eventually all out for 131.