In a remarkable display of resilience, young Mumbai batsman Angkrish Raghuvanshi shrugged off a scary neck injury to play a match-winning knock, steering his team to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Chhattisgarh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Monday. This win marked Mumbai's third consecutive triumph in the prestigious domestic one-day tournament.
A Dramatic Comeback from Injury
The 21-year-old Raghuvanshi's participation was in serious doubt after a frightening incident last Friday. While attempting a difficult catch during Mumbai's match against Uttarakhand, he suffered a heavy fall, injuring himself just below the neck. He was immediately rushed to SDMH Hospital on a stretcher, casting a shadow over his immediate cricketing future.
However, demonstrating tremendous grit, Raghuvanshi made a stunning recovery. Batting fluently, he scored an unbeaten 68 runs from just 66 balls, an innings decorated with six fours and two sixes. His effort helped Mumbai chase down a modest target of 143 in a mere 24 overs at the Jaipur venue.
"Thanks to our team physio Dr Suresh Kumar and lots of medicine, I managed to recover quickly after a nasty fall," Raghuvanshi told The Times of India. "It was a challenging last few days, but I'm happy to come up with a fine innings today."
Bowling Setup the Victory
Mumbai's comprehensive win was set up by their bowlers, who dismantled the Chhattisgarh batting lineup for just 142 runs in 38.1 overs. Spinner Shams Mulani was the chief destroyer, claiming an excellent five-wicket haul for 31 runs. He was ably supported by India international Shardul Thakur, who picked up four wickets for 31 runs. For Chhattisgarh, only Amandeep Khare offered significant resistance with a fighting 63.
Other Key Results from Vijay Hazare Trophy
The day witnessed several other compelling contests across the country. In a high-scoring Group D encounter in Bengaluru, Delhi, playing without Virat Kohli, successfully chased down 321 runs to defeat Saurashtra by three wickets. The chase was built on aggressive fifties from opener Priyansh Arya (78 off 45 balls) and Tejasvi Dahiya (53 off 51 balls). Saurashtra's total was built on Vishvarajsinh Jadeja's 115 and Ruchit Ahit's unbeaten 95.
In Rajkot, Uttar Pradesh wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel announced his 50-over credentials with a spectacular, unbeaten 160. His blistering knock, combined with useful contributions from Abhishek Goswami (51) and Rinku Singh (63), propelled UP to 369/7. Baroda fought hard in reply, with Krunal Pandya scoring 82, but fell 54 runs short, bowled out for 315.
The day also saw individual brilliance in defeat. Maharashtra pacer Ramakrishna Ghosh bowled a sensational spell, taking 7 wickets for just 42 runs against Himachal Pradesh. However, his heroics were in vain as Maharashtra fell short by 7 runs, managing only 264/9 in response to Himachal's 271, which featured a 110 from Pukhraj Mann.
A Record to Forget
In Ahmedabad, a dubious record was set in List A cricket history. Puducherry captain Aman Khan endured a nightmare outing with the ball, conceding a record 123 runs from his full quota of 10 overs against Jharkhand. This expensive spell surpassed the previous record of 0/116 in nine overs, set just last week by Arunachal Pradesh's Mibom Mosu against Bihar.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy continues to be a fertile ground for emerging talent and dramatic cricketing narratives, with teams jostling for supremacy in India's premier domestic one-day competition.
