Yash Dhull, Nitish Rana shine as Delhi finish SMAT campaign with win over Uttarakhand
Delhi registered an 18-run victory over Uttarakhand on Monday to conclude their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign on a high note. Skipper Nitish Rana and young batter Yash Dhull scored crucial half-centuries to steer the team to 162/7 in their 20 overs, setting a target that Uttarakhand could not chase down, finishing at 144/7.
Dhull played a responsible innings of 52 off 37 balls, while Rana contributed a quick 51 off 29 deliveries. Despite these efforts, Delhi could not progress to the Super 8 stage after finishing third in Group D with three wins from seven matches, behind Jharkhand and Rajasthan. The team’s disappointing first leg of the Ranji Trophy earlier in the season had already dented their campaign hopes.
For Uttarakhand, Prashant Chopra top-scored with 54 off 50 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to make substantial contributions. Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (2/27) and Digvesh Singh Rathi (2/22) were the key bowlers for Delhi, curbing the flow of runs at crucial stages.
Meanwhile, Group D leaders Jharkhand maintained their unbeaten run in the group stage after a 36-run win over Rajasthan. Jharkhand posted a challenging total of 215/5, powered by quickfire knocks from Virat Singh (69 off 36), captain Kushagra (55 off 37), and Robin Minz (58 off 27). Rajasthan could only muster 179 in 19.2 overs, with Sushant Mishra picking up 3/21.
Brief Scores:
Delhi: 162/7 in 20 overs (Yash Dhull 52, Nitish Rana 51; Agrim Tiwari 2/18)
Uttarakhand: 144/7 in 20 overs (Prashant Chopra 54; Suyash Sharma 2/27, Digvesh Rathi 2/22)
Jharkhand: 215/5 in 20 overs (Virat Singh 69, Robin Minz 58; Kukna Ajai Singh 1/23)
Rajasthan: 179/10 in 19.2 overs (Karan Lamba 52; Sushant Mishra 3/21)
Delhi will now reflect on their campaign, taking positives from the performances of Dhull and Rana, while Jharkhand and Rajasthan move forward into the Super 8 stage.
The post Yash Dhull, Nitish Rana shine as Delhi finish SMAT campaign with win over Uttarakhand appeared first on Cricket Country.