JOIN USBaroda pipped Uttar Pradesh by three runs to regain the T20 title for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in a thrilling last-ball finish at the Wankhede stadium here on Monday.
Chasing a challenging target of 145, the Venkatesh Prasad-coached Uttar Pradesh team needed 11 runs off 7 balls but lost the plot as the batsmen at the crease, Praveen Kumar and Upendra Yadav, couldn’t manage to overhaul the target as UP finished at 141 for six.
Yadav smashed a six off the penultimate ball after Praveen just scored a single in the four balls he faced. With a boundary needed to win, Baroda’s left-hand medium pacer Rishi Arothe kept his cool to dismiss Yadav with a low full toss. Baroda had previously won the title at the Brabourne stadium in 2012.
Earlier, put in to bat, Baroda posted 144 for seven. They were led by left-handed skipper Aditya Waghmode’s quickfire 31-ball 42 (8x4).
Waghmode and Kedar Devdhar shared an 80-run stand for the first wicket but the former’s dismissal in the tenth over triggered a collapse and pulled down the run-rate.
Baroda lost wickets in quick succession and could add just 64 runs in the last 10 overs. Praveen Kumar and Ali Murtaza scalped two wickets each while Amit Mishra and Prashant Gupta got a wicket apiece.
Brief scores: Baroda: 144/7 in 20 overs (Aditya Waghmode 42, Kedhar Devdhar 26; Praveen Kumar 2-24, Ali Murtaza 2-22) bt Uttar Pradesh: 141/6 in 20 overs (P Gupta 68, E Dwivedi 56; L Meriwala 3-31).