Mumbai, Mar 26: A sparkling knock from Kedar Devdhar helped Baroda seal a berth in the final of the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Delhi lost the semi-final to Baroda by seven wickets, blinded by Devdhar’s 96-run knock.
Asked to bat, Delhi set Baroda a 170-run target in 20 overs. After opener Jagrit Anand was bowled by Murtuza Vohara with just 10 runs on the board, Shikhar Dhawan and Mithun Manhas stitched a 83-run partnership off 42 balls. Manhas, who had brought up Delhi’s fifty with a six off Yusuf Pathan, was later dismissed by the bowler for 23.
Punit Bisht, who replaced him at the crease, was also removed by Pathan soon after while Dhawan was castled by Waghmode in the next over. The Delhi opener had struck eight boundaries and two sixes on his way to 62.
Delhi lost the next five wickets for 56 runs in the space of 40 balls. Skipper Rajat Bhatia, who had a played a match-winning innings against Railways earlier, was claimed by Bhargav Bhatt while Vohara bowled Yogesh Nagar in the next. Pawan Negi, Pradeep Sangwan and Puneet Mehra all departed in the last over. Negi was run out by Karambelkar trying to take a second run while Sangwan and Mehra fell to Bhatt.
Defending 169, Sangwan claimed opener Monil Patel in the second over. Despite losing their first wicket early, Aditya Waghmode and Kedar Devdhar took the opposition head on. The duo brought up Baroda’s first 50 off just 21 balls, with Aditya hitting Sangwan for a boundary. Coming in at No. 3, Kedar Devdhar ravaged the Delhi bowlers with a 40-ball 69 (11x4, 6x6).
Aditya sent Negi to the ropes over mid-wicket to bring up the team hundred; he brought up the hundred of the partnership with a six off the next delivery. Negi was plundered for 17 runs in the tenth over in which he was hit for two boundaries and a six by Aditya.
Kedar then milked Bhatia in the next over and subsequently hit Mithun Manhas for 22 runs. Kedar struck Manhas for two consecutive sixes and a four, and then again a six, to reach 95. In the next over, he was caught by Sehrawat off Negi, missing out on a well-deserved century.
Yusuf Pathan then joined Aditya at the crease with Baroda needing 20 runs in 7.2 overs. However, a couple of overs later, the left-hand opener departed for 60 (40) with the team needing just eight to win. Ketan Panchal then hit a boundary off Jagrit to end Delhi’s run in the tournament.
Brief scores: Delhi 169/9 in 20 overs (S Dhawan 62, R Bhatia 27, B Bhatt 3/50, M Vohara 2/24, Y Pathan 2/30) lost to Baroda 173/3 in 17.1 over (K Devdhar 96, A Waghmode 60) by & wickets
