Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Baroda defeats Bengal by 41 runs to book their Semi-Finals spot

The first Quarter-Finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has finally ended with a convincing 41-run victory for Baroda over Bengal at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Baroda posted a challenging total of 172/7 in their allotted 20 overs, led by Shashwat Rawat’s explosive 40 off 26 balls and supported by Abhimanyusingh Rajput’s steady 37 off 34. Contributions from Vishnu Solanki (16* off 7) and Shivalik Sharma (24 off 17) ensured a strong finish. Bengal’s bowlers, Pradipta Pramanik and Mohammed Shami, took two wickets each but leaked runs.

Chasing 173, Bengal crumbled under pressure, managing just 131 in 18 overs. Shahbaz Ahmed stood out with a valiant 55 off 36 balls, but a lack of support from other batters saw them lose wickets at regular intervals. Lukman Meriwala (3/17) and Hardik Pandya (3/27) dismantled Bengal’s lineup, with Atit Sheth chipping in with three crucial wickets for 41 runs.

This win secured Baroda’s spot in the semi-finals, showcasing their balanced performance with both bat and ball. Bengal’s collapse highlighted their dependency on a few key players, ending their campaign despite finishing second in the group stage standings earlier.