Patna: Junior cricketers lifted the spirits of Bihar’s cricket enthusiasts, who were disheartened by the state’s recent defeat in the Ranji Trophy. In the Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19 Men’s One Day Cricket Tournament, Bihar secured a 29-run victory against a formidable Kerala side.
Competing in Pool C, the Bihar team currently stands fourth on the points table with 8 points. Madhya Pradesh leads the group, while Kerala trails behind Bihar.
Captain Mohammad Alam and Prithvi Raj delivered impressive performances with both bat and ball. Mohammad Alam scored 38 runs and claimed four wickets, while Prithvi Raj added 24 runs and took three wickets. Bharat Chitodiya contributed 19 runs and took two wickets.
The match, held at the ECIL ground in Hyderabad, saw Bihar win the toss and opt to bat first. The opening partnership, however, was disappointing as Mohammad Taufiq was dismissed for a duck, and Aditya Sinha departed after scoring just 7 runs.
Mohammad Alam and Deepesh Gupta then stabilised the innings, forging a crucial 61-run partnership. Bihar suffered their third blow when Deepesh Kumar Gupta was dismissed with the team’s total at 78. Just one run later, Mohammad Alam was also dismissed.
Alam scored 38 runs off 57 balls, while Gupta made 26 runs from 31 balls.
Prithvi Raj, Hemant Singh, and Suman Saurabh, along with a lower-order contribution from Bharat Chitodiya, helped push Bihar’s total to 174 runs before the team was bowled out in 30.5 overs. Prithvi Raj scored 24 runs from 23 balls, Hemant Singh made 16, Suman Saurabh added 26, and Bharat Chitodiya contributed 19.
For Kerala, Aaditya Baiju took 4 wickets for 44 runs, Mohammad Jasil claimed 1 for 22, Mohammad Enan secured 2 for 33, and Altaf S took 1 for 28.
In pursuit of a target of 175, Kerala was bowled out for 145 in 28.3 overs. Key contributions came from Karthik P (12), Shafan F (32), Roshan N Nair (22), Saurabh S (21), Advaith Prince Asramam (14), and Altaf S (16).
For Bihar, Mohammad Alam took 4 wickets for 21 runs, Prithvi Raj claimed 3 for 25, and Bharat Chitodiya picked up 2 for 27.
