Mukund, Shankar guide TN to victory
Tamil Nadu skipper Vijay Shankar made an impressive return from injury by smashing a blistering 99-ball 129 inclusive of seven sixes, while southpaw Abhinav Mukund scored 71, to power the team to a comprehensive 130-run win over Assam in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group ‘C’ league here Thursday.
Shankar looked to go for the big shots once he got his eye in and smashed five sixes in the space of two overs. He added 202 in 149 balls with Baba Indrajith, who scored 92.
In another match, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem scalped five for 17 to help Jharkhand beat Jammu & Kashmir by 73 runs. Meanwhile, Haryana rode on Pramod Chandila’s knock of 88 to thump Rajasthan by 147 runs. Tamil Nadu lie fourth in the points table with 12 points from five games, while Jharkhand are on top with 18.
Jharkhand were in a spot of bother at 88 for 6 before lefthander Anukul Roy’s superb 96 not out enabled the team make 221 for 8. In reply, J&K were 76 for 9 before some lusty hitting by No.11 Mohammed Mudhasir (53 not out) lent respectability to the score.
Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 334/4 in 50 ovs (V Shankar 129, B Indrajith 92, A Mukund 71) beat Assam 204 in 44.1 ovs (V Chakravathi 2/40, B Aparajith 2/42) by 130 runs; Haryana 304 all out in 49.2 ovs (P Chandila 88, H Rana 44, T Haq 3/62) beat Rajasthan 157 all out in 46.4 ovs (H Patel 3/19) by 147 runs; Jharkhand 221/8 in 50 ovs (A Roy 96*, W Raza 3/51) beat J&K 148 in 42.2 ovs (S Nadeem 5/17) by 73 runs.