Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy | Pragnay steers Hyderabad home to a facile win over Goa


Pragnay cashed in on an early reprieve to deliver for Hyderabad against Goa.
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI

Hyderabad rode on Pragnay Reddy’s unbeaten 34-ball 67 to beat Goa by seven wickets in a Group-B match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.

Asked to bat, Goa benefitted from Lalit Yadav’s second successive half-century to post 160 for four. Hyderabad achieved the target with six overs to spare and secured its second win.

Goa managed 32 for two in the PowerPlay and lost another wicket in the seventh over due to the discipline shown by the Hyderabad bowlers, led by its skipper C.V. Milind and left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajann.

Lalit shouldered the responsibility to add 34 runs with Deepraj Gaonkar before putting on a 51-ball 93-run unbroken stand with Darshan Misal (18).

Going berserk

The former Delhi batter, who recorded his career-best knock (85 n.o., 48b, 10×4, 3×6), unleashed his brutal firepower in the death overs. Equally effective with his drives, pulls and inside-out shots, Lalit hammered four fours and two sixes as Ajay Dev Goud conceded 30 runs, including two wides, in the last over. Hyderabad leaked 62 in the last four overs.

With a docile attack, Goa struggled to defend its total.

Hyderabad opener Tanmay Agarwal plundered three sixes off V. Koushik’s first over before Aman Rao (40, 22b, 3×4, 3×6) and Pragnay (67 n.o., 34b, 4×4 5×6) took charge with a 31-ball 71-run partnership.

Aman also displayed his attacking intent, collecting most of his runs on the onside.

The lucky Pragnay, who was caught off a no-ball on zero and then was dropped on nine, continued to play fearlessly as he drove well on the off-side for majority of his sixes apart from cutting and pulling fine to get his boundaries. He finished off in style, hitting a straight six off spinner Darshan.

Top-scorer Harsh Gawali (49, 42b, 5×4) and captain Rajat Patidar (43, 20b, 5×4, 2×6), making a comeback, helped Madhya Pradesh defeat Uttar Pradesh by 37 runs for its second consecutive win.

Manan Vohra’s unbeaten half-century (72 n.o., 48b, 9×4, 2×6) enabled Chandigarh to beat Maharashtra by five wickets and register its second victory.



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