The Rajasthan cricket team rode on half-centuries from Bharat Sharma and Deepak Hooda to make it two out of two in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 campaign with a 62-run win over Mizoram on Monday.
Opener Bharat Sharma top-scored in the match with 74 from 47 balls, which included four sixes and seven fours, while Hooda smashed six sixes and two fours in his 33-ball 65 to power Rajasthan to 217/6 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground C in Rajkot.
Mizoram could manage only 155/5 in response as Rajasthan continued their winning run in Group A in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year. Kamlesh Nagarkoti was the pick of the bowlers for Rajasthan with an impressive spell of 2/23 while Agni Chopra scored 47 for Mizoram.
Batting first, Abhijeet Tomar, the top scorer for Rajasthan in the first match, got the team to a good start scoring two fours and two sixes before departing in the third over and Rajasthan were placed at 43/1 after the powerplay.
However, a 127-run association, from just 72 balls, for the second wicket between Sharma and Hooda changed the course of the match. Both batters shifted gears after getting their eye in with Rajasthan going past the 100-run mark in the 11th over.
Hooda was the aggressor among the two scoring at a strike rate of close to 200 with Mizoram skipper Bobby Zothansanga and Joseph Lalthankhuma bearing the brunt conceding 27 and 22 runs in an over, respectively.
Rajasthan captain Mahipal Lomror and Kartik Sharma’s cameos pushed the team past 200 for the second successive game. For Mizoram, Mohit Jangra picked up 2/38 in his four overs.
In reply, openers Jehu Anderson and Chopra added 71 in quick time to keep Mizoram in pursuit during the chase. However, they lost track with batters departing quickly in the middle phase.
Jangra hit some lusty blows towards the end but it only delayed the inevitable as Mizoram finished well short of Rajasthan's total. Apart from Nagarkoti, Rahul Chahar and Hooda picked up a wicket apiece.
Rajasthan will next meet Hyderabad in their third match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 campaign at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Wednesday, November 27.
Mizoram vs Rajasthan Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 brief scores: Rajasthan 217/6 (Bharat Sharma 74, Deepak Hooda 65; Mohit Jangra 2/38) beat Mizoram 155/5 (Agni Chopra 47, Mohit Jangra 41*; Kamlesh Nagarkoti 2/23) by 62 runs.
