Uttar Pradesh continued their unstoppable march in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, securing their seventh consecutive victory by defeating Bengal by five wickets in their final league match at the Sanosara Cricket Ground in Rajkot on Thursday. The win was orchestrated by a magnificent century from wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
Jurel's Masterclass Seals Chase
Chasing a target of 270, Uttar Pradesh faced an early wobble but were steered to a comfortable win thanks to a match-defining knock from Dhruv Jurel, who scored 123 runs off just 96 deliveries. His innings, laced with nine fours and five sixes, was his second century in the tournament's pool stage. Jurel first stabilised the innings with a crucial 132-run partnership with Aryan Juyal, who contributed a fluent 56. He then added 60 runs with Priyam Garg before being run out in the dying stages. Captain Rinku Singh (37 not out) and Prashant Veer (8 not out) completed the formalities, taking UP to 272 for 5 in 44.2 overs.
Bengal's Innings Falters After Promising Start
Earlier, invited to bat first, Bengal posted a total of 269 before being bowled out. Their innings was built on the back of a steadying partnership between Sudip Kumar Gharami and Shahbaz Ahmed after early wickets had reduced them to 61 for 3. Sudip Kumar played a superb knock of 94 off 106 balls, narrowly missing a century, while Shahbaz made 43. However, regular wickets prevented Bengal from accelerating in the middle overs. A late cameo of 33 off 16 balls from Akash Deep provided some impetus. For UP, spinner Zeeshan Ansari was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 33.
Road to the Quarter-Finals
With this emphatic win, Uttar Pradesh have firmly established themselves as one of the top contenders. They have now set up a quarter-final clash against Saurashtra, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from January 12, 2026. UP coach Arvind Kapoor praised the collective team effort and expressed confidence in his top-order batters carrying their form into the knockout stage. The team's batting has been in stellar form, with Jurel, Juyal, Abhishek Goswami, and Rinku Singh all registering centuries during the league phase.
Brief Scores: Bengal 269 all out (Sudip Kumar 94, Shahbaz 43; Zeeshan Ansari 3/33) lost to Uttar Pradesh 272/5 in 44.2 overs (Dhruv Jurel 123, Aryan Juyal 56; Akash Deep 1/27) by 5 wickets.
