Goa made a fantastic start to the 2023-24 season with an impressive 31-run victory over a strong Andhra side, in their opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament in Ranchi on Monday.
Put into bat, Goa posted a huge total of 232/6 with captain Darshan Misal coming in at No 3 and dishing out a blazing 61 runs off 27 balls. The left-hander thrashed five sixers and equal number of fours to make a big statement of his shot-making ability. He had also been a consistent performer with the bat and the ball last season. Today as well, Darshan led from the front as he picked up two wickets, sending back openers – Test cricketer KS Bharat (31) and Ashwin Hebbar (31), with his overall figures being 2/31 off four overs. Moreover, Darshan has also been a safe pair of hands and caught the Test cricketer Hanuma Vihari (58 off 33 balls) of the bowling of Shubham Tari (2/34), to keep Goa firmly in the hunt.
Lakshay Garg (3/40) and Arjun Tendulkar (3/46) ran through the lower-middle order and the tail as Andhra lost last five wickets for 10 runs to be all out for 201 runs in 18.3 overs.
Earlier, Goa started confidently with opener Rahul Tripathi (47) and Ishan Gadekar (35) setting the launchpad with a partnership of 70 runs in 7.4 overs. After a point where wickets fell in a heap, it took an explosive coming together of Tunish Sawkar and wicketkeeper Siddharth KV to send Goa on a flourishing finish to their inning as the unfinished seventh wicket stand realised 66 runs in 23 balls. IP Tunish remained not out on 34 off 11 balls (3×4, 3×6), while Siddharth was unbeaten on 32 off 12 balls (3×4, 2×6).
https://www.bcci.tv/domestic/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-2023-24/match/13?s=08
Meanwhile, the Goa U-19 boys and girls teams suffered losses in their respective outings in Vinoo Mankad Trophy and BCCI U-19 women’s one-dayers tournament.
In Puducherry, Goa boys went down to Rajasthan by 6 wickets. Batting first, Goa were all out for 184 runs in 45 overs.
https://www.bcci.tv/domestic/vinoo-mankad-trophy-2023-24/match/46?s=08
Over in Barsapara-Assam, Goa girls rounded off their engagements in the tournament with yet another humiliation as they went down by 314 runs against Mumbai.
https://www.bcci.tv/domestic/womens-under-19-one-day-trophy-2023-24/match/76
