CK Nayudu Trophy: Vidarbha defeat Odisha by 87 runs
Cuttack: Vidarbha registered a hard-fought 87-run victory over Odisha in their CK Nayudu Trophy (U-23) clash at the MGM School of Sports, here on Wednesday. Despite gritty knocks from Odisha’s Om T. Munde and Shreyansh Bhardwaj, Vidarbha’s bowlers held their nerve to seal the match on the final day.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Vidarbha posted 166 runs in their first innings, with Gaurav Farde (30) and Sanskar Chavate (22) contributing valuable runs. Odisha’s Vimal Kumar and Saideep Mohapatra impressed with the ball, sharing key wickets to restrict the visitors.
In reply, Odisha’s batting faltered against a disciplined Vidarbha attack, managing just 128 runs. Aashirwad Swain (39) and Soumya Ranjan Lenka (34) showed resistance, but Gaurav Farde starred with the ball, claiming 4 for 35, while Jagjot picked up three wickets, giving Vidarbha a lead of 38 runs.
Vidarbha strengthened their position in the second innings, riding on a magnificent 134-run knock by Abhishek S. Agrawal and 54 from Jagjot, reaching a total of 316. Odisha’s bowlers particularly Ayush K. Barik (3/105) and Soumya Ranjan Lenka (2/42) toiled hard but couldn’t prevent the visitors from gaining control.
Chasing 355 for victory, Odisha put up a spirited fight, led by captain Om T. Munde’s 98 and Shreyansh Bhardwaj’s 75. The duo stitched a crucial stand but Vidarbha’s attack, spearheaded by Gaurav Farde (4/69) and Jagjot (2/54), eventually bowled out Odisha for 267, handing the visitors a well-earned win.
