Maharashtra book Vijay Hazare Trophy semis berth with Punjab scalp
What's the story
Maharashtra booked the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 semis berth with a win over Punjab on Saturday at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
Maharashtra posted 275/6 in 50 overs, riding on Arshin Kulkarni's 107.
For Punjab, Arshdeep Singh claimed a three-fer.
In response, Punjab faltered with the bat. They were bowled out for 205. Arshdeep contributed with 49 runs.
Mukesh Choudhury claimed 3/44. Here's more.
Kulkarni
Kulkarni's crucial partnership helps his side
19-year-old Kulkarni made a significant mark on his List A debut match for Maharashtra by scoring a stunning century.
Kulkarni's century arrived at a crucial juncture when Maharashtra were reeling at 8/2 after the early dismissals of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and Siddhesh Veer.
The opener then stitched a vital partnership with seasoned player Ankit Bawne (60), adding 147 runs to the team's score.
Performance
Kulkarni had a strong SMAT campaign
Kulkarni eventually departed after scoring 107 off 137 deliveries, including 14 fours.
Kulkarni's success is not a one-off event. In the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 194 runs in six matches at an average of 32 and a strike-rate of 137.
He also took six wickets and maintained an economical rate throughout.
Kulkarni is set to play for LSG in IPL 2025.
Arshdeep
An excellent spell from Arshdeep
Arshdeep's opening spell was brilliant as he unsettled Maharashtra's batters with his swing and seam.
Gaikwad and Veer were among those who couldn't cope up with Arshdeep's bowling prowess.
The left-arm pacer finished with figures worth 3/56 from nine overs, including a maiden.
Notably, Arshdeep's opening spell in the quarter-final yielded an impressive 5-1-21-2.
His final wicket was that of centurion Kulkarni (45th over).
Wickets
Arshdeep races to 20 wickets in 2024/25 Vijay Hazare Trophy
Arshdeep went past Varun Chakravarthy's record for most wickets in this season's Vijay Hazare Trophy, further emphasizing his impact on the tournament.
In 7 matches, Arshdeep has raced to 20 wickets at an average of 18.25. In addition to two four-fers, he has one fifer under his belt.
Arshdeep's economy rate is 5.62, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Information
Naman Dhir and Abhishek Sharma amongst the wickets
Punjab's Naman Dhir bowled 7 overs and clocked 2/29. His ER was an impressive 4.14. He bowled 20 dot balls. Skipper Abhishek Sharma claimed 1/42 from his 10 overs.
2nd innings
Punjab falter as Maharashtra impress with the ball
Punjab's famed batting line-up faltered in this tie. Openers Prabhsimran Singh scored 14 whereas Abhishek managed 19 from 16 balls.
Anmolpreet Singh scored a valuable 48. Arshdeep then helped Punjab get past 200 with a knock of 49 from 39 balls.
For Maharashtra, Choudhary claimed 3/44 from 8 overs. Pradeep Dadhe was excellent. He managed 2/34 from 9.1 overs.