Patna: In the first quarter-final of the BCA Men’s Under-23 One Day Trophy 2024-25, Patna chalked out a commanding 54-run victory over Nalanda at Janaki Stadium, Sitamarhi to move into the semi-finals.
Batting first, Patna posted a formidable 305/9 in their 50 overs, powered by a spectacular 133-run knock from captain Akash Raj Raj. His 125-ball innings included 10 fours and 6 sixes. Animesh Anuj Kumar provided strong support with a fluent 64 off 70 balls (10 fours), while Harsh Pappu Vardhan added a quick 21. Contributions from the lower order ensured Patna crossed the 300-run mark.
For Nalanda, Arnav Naval Kishore was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 62 runs in 10 overs. Naman Satyendra Gaurav and Harshit Kunal Raj took two wickets each, while Aditya Mahesh Kumar chipped in with one.
In reply, Nalanda were bowled out for 251 in 42.4 overs, despite a fiery 73 off 54 balls (9 sixes, 3 fours) from Naman Satyendra Gaurav. Arnav Naval Kishore (28) and captain Siddharth Parmeshwar Kumar (30) tried to stabilise the chase, but regular wickets derailed their efforts.
In bowling, Patna’s skipper Akash Raj Raj shone again as he took 3 wickets for 52 runs in 10 overs. Satyendra Kundan Kumar and Suraj Kumar Kashyap bagged two wickets each, while Abhinash Singh claimed one.
