Opener Ankit Kumar continued his purple patch and captain Ashok Menaria led from the front to help Haryana reach a competitive total of 287 for 8 against Rajasthan in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 Final on Saturday. After opting to bat first, Haryana were off to a poor start as they lost Yuvraj Singh and Himanshu Rana in the first nine overs.
Captain Menaria walked into bat when Haryana’s score read 41 for 2 after nine overs. Despite a cautious start, the 33-year-old gradually found his rhythm. His steady presence at the crease provided a platform for Ankit Kumar to unleash his natural attacking style. The partnership between Menaria and Ankit added 124 runs for the third wicket before the Haryana opener’s departure.
Menaria followed him back soon, succumbing to Aniket Choudhury’s delivery in the 37th over. While Ankit scored 88 from just 91 deliveries, featuring 12 boundaries and one six, Menaria played a captain’s knock of 70 runs, laced with eight boundaries. He was going through a rough patch but rose to the occasion in the final.
Rajasthan demonstrated another commendable bowling performance, consistently restricting Haryana from gaining momentum throughout the innings. The only time Haryana faced significant pressure was during the partnership between Ankit and Ashok Menaria, where they added 124 runs. Unfortunately, the duo couldn’t bat deep, succumbing in succession and leaving the lower order with the responsibility of scoring quick runs. Despite valuable cameos from Sindhu, Tewatia, and Sumit pushing the total past 280, there remains uncertainty about whether it will be sufficient.
Aniket Choudhary stood out as the top performer amongst the bowlers, securing a four-wicket haul. In the semifinal, Rajasthan had comfortably chased down 283 against Karnataka, showcasing their batting prowess.
