Muktsar secured a dramatic semifinal berth in the Punjab State Inter-District U-19 Cricket Tournament for the Dhruv Pandove Trophy, edging out Ludhiana by a slender first-innings lead of four runs. The match, played at the Dhruv Pandove Stadium in Patiala, ended in a draw.
Match Summary
In response to Muktsar's formidable first-innings total of 302 runs, Ludhiana displayed remarkable determination and resilience, but fell agonizingly short. They were bowled out for 298 runs with just two deliveries remaining in their allotted 90 overs. The narrow advantage proved decisive as Muktsar advanced to the last four, ending Ludhiana's impressive campaign.
Ludhiana's Batting Effort
Ludhiana's chase was anchored by an excellent knock from Hemant Verma, who narrowly missed out on a century after a fluent 97 runs. He received valuable support from Yuvraj Pal (45), Vansh Rana (42), and Mankaranvir Singh (32), who kept their team in contention until the very end.
Muktsar's Bowling Performance
Muktsar's bowlers held their nerve at crucial stages to deny Ludhiana. Nigam Bansal was the chief destroyer with a match-winning spell of five wickets for 57 runs in 18 overs. Saransh Kubba and Saksheya Khurana provided effective support by claiming two wickets apiece, conceding 43 and 57 runs, respectively.
The result was a heartbreak for Ludhiana, who had fought back spiritedly but ultimately fell short. Muktsar now moves on to the semifinals, where they will look to continue their strong performance in the tournament.
