NEW DELHI: Veteran Ajinkya Rahane continued his remarkable form, firing a scintillating 56-ball 98 as he powered Mumbai to a lop-sided six-wicket win over Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Bengaluru on Friday.
With the impressive win, Mumbai secured a spot in the final of the tournament.
Mumbai’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, restricting Baroda to 158 for 7, before Rahane’s explosive knock (11 fours and 5 sixes) guided his team to 164 for 4 in just 17.2 overs in the first semifinal.
Mumbai will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Delhi and Madhya Pradesh in Sunday’s final.
Rahane, known for his classical batting style, showed his adaptability with an aggressive approach, reaching his fifty off just 29 balls with a towering six over mid-wicket off Hardik Pandya.
After Prithvi Shaw’s early dismissal for 8, caught by Atit Sheth off Hardik, Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer (46 off 30 balls, 4 fours, 3 sixes) put together a commanding 78-run partnership in nine overs, dismantling Baroda’s bowling attack and taking control of the game.
Baroda’s only moment of cheer came when Hardik Pandya earned applause from the crowd for stopping security guards from manhandling three pitch invaders at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
On 98 with Mumbai needing just two runs to win, Rahane missed a chance at a century when pacer Abhimanyu Rajput bowled a wide delivery, leveling the scores. The crowd booed in disapproval, and Rahane fell on the next ball attempting a big shot. However, his brilliant innings had already sealed the game for Mumbai.
Earlier, Mumbai’s bowlers capitalized on a damp pitch, exploiting early movement to keep Baroda in check.
Shahswat Rawat (33) and skipper Krunal Pandya (30) failed to convert their starts into substantial scores, succumbing to careless shots.
Shivalik Sharma’s unbeaten 34 off 24 balls, including a last-ball six, pushed Baroda past 150, but it wasn’t enough to challenge Mumbai’s in-form lineup.
With Rahane in prime form, Mumbai look poised to chase the title in the finale.
