Pandya Leads Baroda to Victory; Abhishek Sharma Shines Against Pondicherry
Hardik Pandya’s return was a major boost for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His presence drew a crowd of over 10,000 on Tuesday to watch the star all-rounder against Punjab earlier in the week.
Due to several pitch invasions raising security concerns, organizers decided on Wednesday night to shift the upcoming match with Gujarat from the Gymkhana Ground to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Entry was limited on Thursday, but eager fans were undeterred.
On Thursday, Hardik found his rhythm with the ball, dismissing the dangerous Urvil Patel with a catch off his own bowling, initiating Gujarat’s collapse. He conceded just 16 runs, including only three boundaries, and even claimed a maiden over—an impressive recovery from the 56-run thrashing by Punjab previously.
Raj Limbani emerged as the standout bowler, helping Baroda dismiss Gujarat for a mere 73 runs. Baroda completed a straightforward chase in just seven overs, securing victory.
Abhishek Dominates
The crowd grew even larger for Punjab’s match against Pondicherry, where Abhishek Sharma dazzled with a quickfire 36 off nine balls (4×4, 3×6), setting the foundation for a 193-run target.
Abhishek Sharma excelled with both bat and ball on Thursday, scoring 36 off nine and taking three wickets. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri
Abhishek, a star player for Sunrisers Hyderabad, shone with the ball too, taking three wickets amid roaring cheers from the crowd. He encouraged the fans to cheer louder with every wicket he took. Despite a 92-run partnership (69 balls) between Sidak Singh and Adil Ayub Tunda offering some resistance, Pondicherry ultimately succumbed to a 55-run defeat.
Victories for Bengal and Haryana
Bengal’s bowlers rediscovered their form, with Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep sharing seven wickets to restrict Services to 165 runs. The chase was smooth, with a 93-run partnership (50 balls) between Abishek Porel (56, 29 balls, 8×4, 2×6) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (58, 37b, 7×4, 1×6) ensuring victory with 29 balls remaining.
Abishek Porel secured a half-century, making light work of the 165-run target. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri
Earlier, in a hard-fought match, Haryana overcame Himachal Pradesh. Three-wicket hauls by Anshul Kamboj and Anuj Thakral restricted Himachal Pradesh to 176, which Haryana chased down in 18 overs, thanks to Yashvardhan Dalal’s 44-ball 76 (7×4, 4×6).
Scores
Himachal Pradesh 176/8 in 20 overs (Ekant Sen 44, Pukhraj Mann 43, Mridul Surroch 31 n.o., Anshul Kamboj 3/44, Anuj Thakral 3/31) lost to Haryana 177/3 in 18 overs (Arsh Ranga 39, Ankit Kumar 44, Yashvardhan Dalal 76 n.o.).
Gujarat 73 in 14.1 overs (Raj Limbani 3/5) lost to Baroda 74/2 in 6.4 overs (Sashwat Rawat 30 n.o.).
Services 165 in 18.2 overs (Mohit Ahlawat 38, Vineet Dhankhar 32, Nakul Sharma 32, Mohammed Shami 4/13, Akash Deep 3/27) lost to Bengal 167/3 in 15.1 overs (Abishek Porel 56 n.o., Abhimanyu Easwaran 58, Yuvraj Keswani 36 n.o.).
Punjab 192/5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 34, Naman Dhir 37, Sanvir Singh 38, Salil Arora 44 n.o., Ramandeep Singh 34 n.o.) beat Pondicherry 138 in 18.4 overs (Sidak Singh 61, Abhishek Sharma 3/23, Ayush Goyal 3/25).
Published on Dec 04, 2025
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