Manan, Shivam star in Chandigarh's 89-run win over Mizoram

CHANDIGARH: Continuing their rich vein of form, Chandigarh were once again on the money to register a thumping 89-run victory over Mizoram in their Plate Group Round 3 match at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College Ground in Chennai on Friday.

Skipper Manan Vohra led from the front with a handsome 85, while Shivam got his second successive fifty as Chandigarh posted a mammoth 200 for 3 before off-spinner Gaurav Gambhir and pacer

Jaskaran Singh

shared five wickets between them to restrict the Northeastern side for 111 for 6 in their stipulated 20 overs.

Electing to bat on winning the toss, Chandigarh didn’t have the best of starts as they lost opener Sarul Kanwar for a duck, but skipper Vohra ensured there were no hiccups from the other end.

Fresh from his stint with the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Manan was quick to pounce on the opportunity as the Mizoram bowlers erred in line and were made to pay the price. The right-handed Manan slammed five mammoth sixes and seven boundaries during his fluent 44-ball 85 but it was the 121-run second wicket partnership with fellow half centurion Shivam Bhambri, that almost took the match away from the grasps of the Mizo boys.

Shivam, who slammed a half century against Manipur a couple of days back, continued from where he had left and matched his skipper shot by shot. Bhambri started cautiously but once he got his eyes in, he didn’t miss an opportunity to send the bowlers to the leatherhunt to slam a 49-ball 62, laced with four hits to the fence and two over it.

With both Manan and Shivam departing in quick succession, Ankit Kaushik provided the acceleration towards the end with an 18-ball 36, comprising three mammoth sixes and a four. Stumper Jaskaranvir Singh also made a 7-ball 10, inclusive of a six to propel Chandigarh to a mammoth 200 for 3.

Sumit Lama was the pick of the Mizoram bowlers, returning with two wickets.

In reply, Mizoram were off to a decent start, thanks to opener Pratik Desai’s 22-ball 27 but lost their way in the middle with Chandigarh once again smartly opening the bowling with the experienced left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma.

There were a couple of good starts from the willows of Lalchhuanliana (17), Lalhmangaiha (16), and skipper KB Pawan (13) but it was the gentle off-spin of the 33-year-old Gaurav Gambhir (3/11) that not only broke the momentum of the chase but also stifled the flow of runs. Towards the end, Khawlhring Lalremruata (27) tried to up the ante but the asking rate was too stiff a mountain to climb for the Mizo team and they eventually ended up with 111/6.

Besides Gambhir’s three-wicket burst, pacer Jaskaran Singh picked a couple of scalps while Bipul returned with figures of 1/19.

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