Kochi/Chandigarh, Dec 19 (IANS): Odisha, Uttar Pradesh in Group C while Chandigarh, Gujarat in Group D registered wins on Tuesday here in the ongoing 6th edition of Nagesh Trophy - Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2023-24.
The Kochi and Chandigarh leg started simultaneously on Monday with Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar in Group C and Gujarat, Chandigarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana in Group D competing respectively.
In Tuesday's Group C opener, Uttar Pradesh dominated Jharkhand, securing an eight-wicket victory in Kochi. Jharkhand set a target of 118/8, but Uttar Pradesh's Chandan Kumar and Balmukund Chaturvedi's unbeaten 119-run partnership led them to victory in the 13th over. Chandan Kumar earned the Player of the Match title.
In the second Group C match, Odisha triumphed over Kerala by 56 runs. Odisha posted 177/6, and Kerala was bowled out for 121. Odisha's skipper, Sukhram Majhi, who contributed with both bat and ball, was named the Player of the Match.
Turning to Group D, Gujarat dominated Madhya Pradesh, winning by 128 runs in Chandigarh. Gujarat's Dinesh Rathva and Ganesh Muhudkar's centuries powered them to 260/2, and Madhya Pradesh fell short, scoring 132/7. Ganesh Muhudkar was recognised as the Player of the Match for his impressive 62-ball 120.
The second game on Tuesday in Chandigarh was a nail-biting thriller as Chandigarh registered a six-wicket win over West Bengal in the 19th over. West Bengal scored 195/6 but Chandigarh chased down the target courtesy of a combined batting effort. Mau Jahid Khan was named the Player of The Match for his well-made fifty.
Jammu & Kashmir (Group E) and Karnataka (Group B) currently top their respective Groups. In Group C, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala will lock horns with each other on Wednesday while in Group D Telangana, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh will meet on the same day.
The ongoing 6th edition of the Nagesh Trophy began on November 23 with the four teams of Group E battling out at the University of Jammu. The tournament will run till February 02, 2024, and the League stage will be played till December 29, 2023.
The Nagesh Trophy was launched in memory of the Late Shri SP Nagesh, Founder President, Cricket Association for the Blind in India and Founder Trustee, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled. The launch of the tournament brought together the entire blind cricket community into one huge platform, by creating a milestone in blind cricket history.