Young all-rounders Parth Vats and Nishant Sindhu played pivotal roles in Haryana's 72-run victory over Bengal, earning the team a spot in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals. Haryana will take on Gujarat in Vadodara on January 12.
Vats, a 20-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder selected ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal, excelled in his debut List A season. He scored a composed 62 off 77 balls, rebuilding the innings after Haryana slumped to 98 for 3 in the 17th over. His partnership of 84 runs with Sindhu, who also scored 64, steadied the ship. Contributions from Sumit Kumar (41* off 32) and Rahul Tewatia (29) propelled Haryana to a competitive 298 for 9.
Bengal’s Mohammed Shami, aiming for an India comeback, struggled initially, conceding 27 runs in his first three overs. However, he recovered to finish with figures of 3 for 61, picking up two wickets in the death overs.
Bengal began their chase strongly, with Sudip Gharami and Abishek Porel adding 70 runs in 12.5 overs. Abhimanyu Easwaran, returning after two months with the Indian Test squad, had the chance to anchor the innings but failed to find rhythm. After surviving a stumping appeal, he fell to Amit Rana while attempting a slog sweep.
Porel’s steady 57 off 78 balls kept Bengal in contention, but his dismissal in the 28th over exposed the fragile middle order. Vats starred with the ball as well, claiming 3 for 33 and dismissing key players Anustup Majumdar, Karan Lal, and Shami, to restrict Bengal to 226 in 43.1 overs.
Haryana’s comprehensive performance ensured their progression to the next stage, with hopes pinned on their young all-rounders continuing their stellar form.