Vinoo Mankad Trophy: Vishal Bhati's 111 and Ankit Chatterjee's 92 help Bengal qualify for final after 11 years

Bengal U-19 openers Vishal Bhati and Ankit Chatterjee powered them into the final of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy 2024 as they defeated Chhattisgarh by 131 runs. This is the first time since 2013 that Bengal had qualified for the semi-finals of the tournament and they made it memorable by entering the final as well. Bhati, who scored 111 in 117 balls and also took 22/3 with the ball in hand, was declared the player of the match.

Bengal had defeated a strong Maharsathra in the quarter-finals by 96 runs and Vishal Bhati was instrumental for Bengal with a 23/4 spell with the ball in hand. 

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In the semi-final, opener Ankit Chatterjee supported Bhati really well and it was their 190-run opening partnership that laid the cornerstone for Bengal's success. After Ankit's dismissal on 92 from 102 balls, Bhati was also dismissed 19 runs later after a stunning 111 from 117 balls. Bhati's inning included 8 fours and 5 sixes while Ankit hit 12 boundaries and one six.

Though Bengal collapsed like a house of cards after that, it was Agniswar Das, who played a quick knock of 42 from 33 balls to give them the momentum to finish on 285/8 in 50 overs.

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Bengal opening ball bowlers Debangshu Pakhira and Yudhajit Guha struck early as Chhattisgarh lost two wickets within the first 7 runs. But, though they tried to build up a partnership with Alok Kumar Gupta and Sahil Shariff, the required run rate kept on going out of their reach.

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It was Ashutosh Kumar and Vishal Bhait who tore apart the Chhattisgarh middle order with their incredible discipline. Ashutosh finished with 30/4 while Vishal finished with 22/3 as Chattishgarh were bundled out for 154.

"It was entirely a team effort. Every member stepped up when it was needed most. I am happy with the victory. Vishal played brilliantly, and Ankit and Ashutosh were superb. The way the team handled the pressure on a crucial semifinal match was outstanding," Bengal U-19 head coach Saurasish Lahiri said via a press release. 

Bengal will now face Gujarat in the final on Sunday in Rajkot.

Scores

Bengal

Chhattisgarh Batting