Aquib, bowlers dazzle; Qamran, batters razzle
STATE TIMES NEWS
KOLKATA: An outstanding all-round performance saw Jammu & Kashmir dominate Bihar in a thrilling encounter of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy at Eden Gardens today. The spectacular stroke play of Qamran Iqbal complemented by the lethal bowling of Aquib Nabi powered J&K to a commanding 34-run victory.
Batting first, Jammu & Kashmir posted a competitive total of 159 runs, anchored by a scintillating half-century by Qamran Iqbal. The young prodigy dazzled the Eden Gardens crowd with a rapid 64 off just 40 balls, laced with 7 elegant boundaries and 3 towering sixes. Significant contributions from Yawar Hassan and skipper Kanhaiya Wadhawan, who scored 27 runs apiece, alongside Abdul Samad’s valuable 16 runs, laid a strong platform for J&K’s innings.
Bihar’s bowling attack fought hard, with Sahib Hussain, MD Izhar, and S Gani taking 2 wickets each, while Khalid and Suraj Kashyap chipped in with one wicket apiece, but they couldn’t contain the flow of runs.
In response, Bihar fell short, bowled out for 125 runs. Akash Raj top-scored with a resilient 28, supported by Suraj Kashyap’s handy 21 and solid knocks of 19 runs each from Pratap and Bipin Sourabh.Dangerous Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed cheaply for 5 runs by Aquib Nabi. However, the batting line-up struggled to withstand the relentless pressure from Jammu & Kashmir’s disciplined bowling unit.
Aquib Nabi emerged as the star bowler, producing a sensational spell of 4 wickets for just 16 runs in his 4 overs, decimating the Bihar batting line-up. He received excellent support from Yudhvir Singh and Murugan Ashwin, who took 2 wickets each, while Umran Malik also chipped in with a crucial breakthrough.
Jammu & Kashmir’s cohesive team effort and individual brilliance ensured a well-deserved victory, propelling them forward confidently in the tournament.
“The team is in good spirits despite the skipper being on the injury list. Explosive batting of Qamran and sharp cum accurate bowling of Auqib were the hallmark of the match. It’s a tough pool but I am sure our team will continue to perform,” asserted Brig Anil Gupta after the win.