Krunal Pandya stars as Baroda kick-off campaign with a win

VADODARA: Krunal Pandya's all-round show helped Baroda beat Uttarakhand by five runs in their opening game of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in Vadodara, on Sunday.

Put into bat in a Group C game, hosts Baroda first rode on Pandya's blazing 76 to post a competitive 168/7 on the board before the bowlers held their nerves to restrict Uttarakhand to 163/6 despite a fighting 77 by Dikshanshu Negi.

Krunal, who is Baroda's captain, also contributed with the ball handsomely to return with figures of 2/33.

While batting, the left-handed Krunal took the Uttarakhand bowlers to cleaners, hammering five fours and as many sixes.

He along with Smit Patel conjured a crucial 89 run stand for the fourth wicket and rescued the team after they were reeling at 41/3 at one stage.

For Uttarakhand, right-handed batsman Negi hammered nine boundaries and six in his 57-ball 77 run knock, while Kunal Chandela, who came in at number seven, stuck a 26-ball 48 but the two could not take their side home.

At Motibaug Ground: Gujarat 157/8 (Axar Patel 30, Ripal Patel 29; M Choudhary 3/33) won against Maharashtra 128 all out (Naushad Shaikh 31; Ruturaj Gaikwad 26; Arzan Nagwasalla 6/19) by 29 runs. Agencies

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