Uttar Pradesh's strong performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy concluded on a disappointing note. They suffered a 17-run defeat to Saurashtra in a rain-interrupted quarter-final match. The game took place at the BCCI COE ground-2 in Kanpur on Monday.
Rain Plays Spoilsport in Crucial Knockout
Persistent rainfall during Saurashtra's innings ultimately decided the match's outcome. Officials applied the VJD method to calculate a revised target. This statistical system sets new goals for limited-overs cricket matches affected by weather delays.
UP Posts Competitive Total Before Rain Arrives
Uttar Pradesh batted first after losing the toss. Their batsmen built a solid innings, scoring 310 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. They used their full quota of 50 overs effectively to set a challenging target.
Saurashtra's Chase and the Crucial Partnership
Saurashtra began their chase with an early wicket. Opener Vishwarajsinh Jadeja departed after scoring just 9 runs. Captain Harvik Desai then joined Prerak Mankad at the crease.
The pair constructed a vital 133-run partnership for the second wicket. Mankad played aggressively before getting stumped. He made 67 runs from 66 deliveries, hitting 7 fours and 2 sixes. Desai provided steady support with 60 runs off 67 balls.
Desai's Century and the Weather Intervention
After Mankad's dismissal, Sammar Gajjar fell cheaply for 14 runs. Chirag Jani then partnered with Desai, who continued batting confidently. The Saurashtra captain reached an excellent century from 116 balls.
His innings included 8 boundaries and 2 sixes. Rain interrupted play at this critical juncture. No further cricket was possible, forcing match officials to implement the VJD method.
VJD Method Decides the Result
The application of the VJD calculation gave Saurashtra a 17-run victory. This result sends them through to the tournament semi-finals. Uttar Pradesh's impressive campaign in the domestic one-day competition ends at the quarter-final stage.
Cricket fans witnessed another example of how weather can influence crucial knockout matches. The VJD method once again determined the outcome when natural conditions prevented a complete game.
