By Admin 
There was palpable tension surrounding Baroda’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy clash with Punjab, for it was billed as the big-ticket event of the series. It was Hardik Pandya vs Abhishek Sharma, the wily, veteran vs the hot-blooded youngster. Fans turned up in larger numbers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday and the two (players and teams) did not disappoint. Abhishek, fresh from his breathtaking century against Bengal, brought out the pyrotechnics early, as he invariably does.
Powered by five boundaries and four sixes, he brought up his fifty off 18 balls, but couldn’t consolidate further, falling to Raj Lambani’s change of pace.
A former Sunrisers Hyderabad man, Anmolpreet Singh’s familiarity with the venue showed in his 32-ball 69 (7×4, 4×6) to help Punjab set a 223-run target.
Baroda was buoyed by a 66-run opening stand between Vishnu Solakni and Shashwat Rawat. Solanki’s dismissal brought in Hardik, who dished out the same treatment he was accorded in the Punjab innings. A 101-run partnership off 60 balls with Shivalik Sharma kept the asking rate well in control.
With 14 needed off nine balls, Hardik then turned on the afterburners, smacking consecutive sixes to put Baroda a whisker away from victory, which was sealed by a cheeky boundary from Jitesh Sharma.
In more subdued settings later in the day, Haryana registered a six-wicket win against Services. Nakul Sharma’s half-century helped the latter set a modest 158-run target. While Haryana stumbled regularly, Ankit Kumar’s unbeaten 78 ensured his side came away with its campaign’s second win.
At the Gymkhana Ground, Gujarat’s Japagnya Bhatt and Ravi Bishnoi put the squeeze on Pondicherry, picking three wickets each to bundle it out for 83. Abhishek Desai’s unbeaten 53 ensured Gujarat’s chase was a cakewalk, with 11 overs to spare.
Later, Bengal bounced back from the drubbing at the hands of Punjab with a five-wicket win over Himachal Pradesh. Ekant Sen (89) and Pukhraj Mann (79) set up Himachal’s 209-target. Abishek Porel and Karan Lal’s 105-run stand dictated the proceedings. Karan’s maiden T20 century – 113 off 50 balls – sealed a five-wicket win for Bengal.
The scores: Group C (Hyderabad): Punjab 222/8 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 50, Anmolpreet Singh 69, Naman Dhir 39, Raj Limbani 3/36) lost to Baroda 224/3 in 19.1 overs (Vishnu Solakni 43 Shashwat Rawat 31, Shivalik Sharma 47 retd. out, Hardik Pandya 77 n.o.).
Himachal Pradesh 208/5 in 20 overs (Ekant Sen 89, Pukhraj Mann 79, Shahbaz Ahmed 3/36) lost to Bengal 212/5 in 18.4 overs (Abishek Porel 41, Karan Lal 113).
Pondicherry 83 in 13.1 overs (Japagnya Bhatt 3/17, Ravi Bishnoi 3/13) lost to Gujarat 84/1 in 9 overs (Aarya Desai 53 n.o.).
Services 157/7 in 20 overs (Vineet Dhankhar 36, Nakul Sharma 57) lost to Haryana 160/4 in 19 overs (Ankit Kumar 78 n.o.).