Uttar Pradesh stormed into the final of the Men's U-23 State A Trophy Elite tournament with a commanding five-wicket victory over Rajasthan at Mumbai's BKC Ground on Saturday. The match was dominated by a spectacular century from Ali Zafir Mohsin, whose swashbuckling innings guided his team to chase down Rajasthan's total with remarkable ease.
Mohsin's Masterclass Seals Victory
After being asked to bat first, Rajasthan managed to post a competitive 239 for 9 in their 50 overs, thanks to resilient batting performances in the middle order. However, Uttar Pradesh made light work of the target, achieving victory in just 40.1 overs while losing only five wickets.
The chase didn't begin smoothly for UP, as they suffered early setbacks with the dismissals of Adarsh Singh for just 5 runs and Chaitanya Parashar for 3. When the scoreboard showed a concerning 15 for 2, Ali Zafir Mohsin joined forces with Swastik to stage an impressive recovery.
The pair constructed a crucial 104-run partnership for the third wicket, steadily building the innings while keeping the scoreboard moving at a healthy rate. Their composed stand frustrated the Rajasthan bowlers and laid the foundation for the successful chase.
Rajasthan's Fightback Falls Short
Rajasthan's innings had earlier faced significant challenges after being put in to bat. The team endured a disastrous start, finding themselves in deep trouble at 48 for 4 due to excellent bowling from Uttar Pradesh's medium pacers.
Ankur Sharma delivered an incisive spell, dismissing the top three Rajasthan batsmen - Sachin Lakheswar (4), Sumit Godara (17), and Amol Chelani (0). Kartik Yadav provided excellent support by removing Chetan Sharma for 19 runs.
Despite the early collapse, Rajasthan showed fighting spirit through several partnerships. Himanshu contributed 28 runs before an unfortunate run-out, while Rohan played a valuable innings of 52 runs from 73 deliveries, including four boundaries and three sixes.
The standout performer for Rajasthan was Karan Lamba, who top-scored with an impressive 65 off 76 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes. His 72-run partnership with Rohan and subsequent 57-run stand with M. Choudhary (32) helped Rajasthan reach a respectable total.
Comfortable Finish for UP
After Swastik's departure for a well-made 65 off 61 balls, which included seven fours and three sixes, UP suffered another brief setback when captain Sameer Rizvi fell cheaply for 3 runs. However, Ali Zafir Mohsin continued his dominant display, reaching a magnificent century.
The batsman eventually departed after scoring a brilliant 108 runs from just 93 deliveries, having hammered 12 boundaries and six massive sixes. His innings provided the backbone of UP's successful chase.
With the team at 202 for 5, Prashant Veer (34 not out) and Ritik Vats (11 not out) ensured there were no further alarms, comfortably guiding Uttar Pradesh to victory with nearly 10 overs to spare.
For Rajasthan, Chetan Sharma emerged as the most successful bowler with figures of 3 for 83, though the total proved insufficient against UP's powerful batting lineup.
Uttar Pradesh will now face Tamil Nadu in the tournament final, setting up an exciting clash between two of India's most talented young cricket teams.
