Sat Jan 11 14:02:55 UTC 2025: ## Maharashtra Thrashes Punjab in Vijay Hazare Trophy Semifinal
Vadodara: Maharashtra stormed into the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a convincing 70-run victory over Punjab in Vadodara. Arshin Kulkarni’s century anchored Maharashtra’s innings, guiding them to a respectable 175/6 despite early setbacks including the dismissals of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) and Siddhesh Veer (0). Kulkarni’s 107-run knock, studded with 14 fours, laid the foundation for the win, bolstered further by a crucial 145-run partnership with Ankit Bawne (60). Nikhil Naik’s unbeaten 52 (29 balls) provided the late flourish.
Punjab’s chase began disastrously, losing both openers Prabhsimran Singh (14) and Abhishek Sharma (19) with only 42 runs on the board. While Anmolpreet Singh (48) offered some resistance, wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. The lower middle order failed to fire, with Nehal Wadhera (6), Ramandeep Singh (2), Anmol Malhotra (10), and Naman Dhingra (12) making negligible contributions. Anmolpreet’s dismissal in the 32nd over effectively sealed Punjab’s fate. Arshdeep Singh’s late blitz (49 runs, including three sixes and three fours) and Sanvir Singh’s 24 could only reduce the margin of defeat. Mukesh Chaudhary’s three-wicket haul proved pivotal in Punjab’s collapse, leading to their all-out score of 205 in 44.4 overs.
First Piper 