It seemed like UP were slowly digging themselves out of the grave with a new found penchant for life in the game and that's when the young powerhouse of a pacer - Rajvardhan Hangargekar shut the UP shop. He bowled with fire and muted Juyal & Co using the short ball and the odd yorker. The game reached its logical conclusion as the target proved too towering for UP. Aryan Juyal scored a hundred to remember - if it happened on another day. All thanks to Ruturaj Dashrat Gaikwad.
That's it from me Vasisht and my co-commentator Pratyush. Stay tuned for live updates and action right here on Sportskeeda.
UP started the chase well with Aryan Juyal and Madhav Kaushik finding some timing in the power play. Mukesh Choudhary tightened the noose after the fall of Kaushik's wicket with 2 maidens - which put the middle order under immense pressure to seek some momentum back. Satyajeet Bachhav and S Kazi bowled arm ball after arm ball to stifle middle-over scoring and picked up some cheap wickets in the bargain. While all was lost, Juyal surged towards the back-end with an array of effortless big hitting with the steady company of Shivam Sharma.
Yes. Today will be remembered as Ruturaj Gaikwad's Fun Day Out. And for good reason. 7 sixes in an over sounds...wrong. 43 runs in an over reeks of...fake news. Whatever UP was planning on doing with its chase, it was always going to be shadowed by The Great Gaikwad. Shiva Singh, the bowler who finds himself in the less sought after section of the history book, will take solace from the fact that there can only be better days from here.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is declared Player of the Match. Shocking!
Maharashtra win by 58 runs.
47.3 Manoj Ingale to Kartik Tyagi, TOP EDGE... OUT! MAHARASHTRA SEAL THE DEAL! It's the bouncer again. Tyagi wanted to pull it through the leg side but only got a top edge that balloons to Gaikwad, who fittingly takes the catch. His Maharashtra side are heading into the semi-finals after a comprehensive 58-run victory!
Kartik Tyagi c Gaikwad b M Ingale 0 (3)
47.2 Manoj Ingale to Kartik Tyagi, another bouncer outside the off-stump, Tyagi flat-bats it back to the bowler, no run
47.2 Manoj Ingale to Ankit Rajpoot, banged in short once more, Rajpoot miscues his pull in the vacant mid-wicket region for a single
47.1 Manoj Ingale to Ankit Rajpoot, BOUNCER! Hits the deck hard with a short delivery on the fourth stump line, Rajpoot swings and misses
It's that man Hangargekar! Finishes with figures 10-0-53-5 and more importantly, the match as well! Picks out Juyal to seal the fate of the game and later Sharma just to make it official.
47
overs
271/9score
W
4
0
1
W
0
runs
Ankit Rajpoot
5(3)
Kartik Tyagi*
0(1)
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
5/53
46.6 Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Kartik Tyagi, on the good length in the off-stump line, Tyagi is right behind the line to block, no run
Kartik Tyagi (RHB) is the new batter in
46.5 Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Shivam Sharma, OUT! FIFER FOR HANGARGEKAR! Banged it in short and outside the off-stump. Sharma went for the hack across the line which resulted in a top edge that was safely pouched by the fielder at short fine leg. Maharashtra are almost there! S Sharma c M Ingale b R Hangargekar 33 (41)
46.4 Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Ankit Rajpoot, at a back of a length to angle it into Rajpoot, tucked to mid-wicket to scurry across for a risky single
46.3 Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Ankit Rajpoot, dug it in at a back of a length outside off. Rajpoot was looking for the pull but it's off the toe-end towards mid-off, no run
46.2 Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Ankit Rajpoot, FOUR! STREAKY! Full delivery angled into Rajpoot. He gets a thick inside edge on it which is enough to find the vacant fine leg boundary
Ankit Rajpoot (RHB) is the new batter in
46.1 Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Aryan Juyal, OUT! JUYAL FINALLY DEPARTS! Short and wide outside the off-stump, Juyal frees his arms to flay this one firmly. However, it's right down the throat of the fielder at point, who makes no mistake. That's the end of a fabulous knock. Meanwhile, Hangargekar has a chance to bag a fifer.