Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Nadaun, February 16
Rishabh Pant once again showed his talent with a brilliant 93-ball 135 but it went in vain as Delhi lost a thriller to Himachal Pradesh by two runs in the Vijay Hazare tournament here today. The loss has dented Delhi’s chances of making the knockouts.
After Himachal posted a daunting 304/5, thanks to Prashant Chopra’s 150 off 149 balls, studded with 22 boundaries and two sixes, Delhi were all out for 302 in 49.4 overs. Delhi have finished their group engagements with16 points from six games, and are in danger of crashing out with three teams — Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala — locked on 14 points. With Maharashtra facing Kerala in the decider, one team will go on to 18 points and Delhi will pray that Bengal beat Himachal in the final game so that they can qualify as the second team.
Delhi looked on course for a comfortable win as Pant scored a career-best List A knock, in which he belted 16 boundaries and five sixes. When he added 115 runs in just 15.4 overs with Nitish Rana (52), it looked all but over for the hosts. But once Rana was out, the middle-order caved in with no one able to give the beefy left-hander enough support. Yet, with just 16 needed from three overs and Pant going great guns, Delhi looked cruising to a comfortable win. The game, however, turned on its head when the hosts managed to run out Pant, and Pradeep Sangwan struggled to keep the scoreboard moving. Eventually, Delhi needed nine runs from the last over, but could manage only six.
Brief scores: HP 304/5 (Prashant Chopra 150; Ishant Sharma 2/39); Delhi 302 all out in 49.4 overs (Rishabh Pant 135; Rishi Dhawan 3/38)
