Karnataka get knocked out from Ranji Trophy at Haryana's expense
What's the story
Haryana have managed to book a berth in the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy after an impressive show against Karnataka.
The match is being held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Haryana's captain Ankit Kumar was instrumental in the team ending Karnataka's hopes of making it to the QF.
His brilliant century and disciplined bowling performance ensured Haryana's berth in the last eight.
Haryana have entered the knockout round for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Here's more.
Match highlights
Kumar's century steers Haryana to knockouts
Kumar scored an impressive 118 runs off 154 balls, laced with 19 boundaries.
This was his fourth First-Class hundred and it played a crucial role in steering Haryana's performance.
After dismissing Karnataka for 304, Haryana reached 232 for five, on the back of skipper Kumar's outstanding performance.
Meanwhile, his elegant off-side play and clean drives through the cover region stood out in the match.
Stats
Kumar surpasses 2,000 runs in FC cricket
With this ton, Kumar has now surpassed 2,000 FC cricket runs (now 2,004 runs) at an average of 34-plus.
Meanwhile, across 35 matches and 59 innings, he boasts four tons and 10 fifties with a strike rate of 60-plus.
His highest score reads 174, while he also owns 259 boundaries and 15 maximums.
Bowling performance
Haryana's bowling prowess challenges Karnataka
Haryana's disciplined bowling was another key reason behind their performance against Karnataka.
Despite a strong pace attack from Karnataka, they failed to restrict Haryana under 154 and enforce the follow-on.
Yashovardhan Parantap was the only one who posed a challenge with his sharp pace, taking two wickets for his side (2/42).
However, that wasn't enough to stop Haryana from their path to the knockout stages.
Match summary
How has the match panned out?
Karnataka resumed play on 267 for five, with overnight batters KL Shrijith and Parantap looking to take their score closer to 450.
However, their efforts were foiled when Ajit Chahal and Anuj Thakral, dismissed two batters in quick successions.
This was a major turning point in the match paving the way for Haryana's glorious entry into the quarter-finals.
At stumps, Haryana are 232/5, trailing by 72 runs, (Rohit Sharma: 9* off 18 balls and Nishant Sindhu 35* off 46 balls).