Vishnu Solanki helped Baroda pull off a last-over heist against Haryana with a sensational 71, which included a six off the game’s final ball, to fire his team into the semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here on Wednesday.
Baroda first restricted Haryana to 148/7 in the third quarterfinal, and then it was Solanki, who hammered four fours and five sixes in his 46-ball unbeaten knock to get his team over the line after 18 runs were needed off the final over.
In the evening game, Rajasthan bowlers held their nerves as they defeated Bihar by 16 runs, in their quarter-final.
Haryana had brought down the equation to 23 off 12 balls for Baroda and their skipper Mohit Sharma (0/30) conceded only five runs in the penultimate over to make the equation tougher for Baroda.
However, 28-year-old Solanki had other plans and took on medium pacer Sumit Kumar (1/37) in the final over, hitting two sixes and a four, to script an eight-wicket win for his team.
The right-handed batsman fittingly finished the game with a six, a helicopter shot on the final ball to seal the game with Baroda needing five runs off the final ball.
Earlier put into bat at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Haryana lost openers cheaply but Himanshu Rana (49 off 40 balls) and Shivam Chauhan (35 off 29 balls) rallied the innings with their 80-run third wicket stand. While Chauhan hammered three fours and a six, Rana's knock was laced with seven boundaries.
In the evening game, Rajasthan, who opted to bat, rode on Mahipal Lomror’s 37-ball unbeaten 78, to post a competitive 164/5.
Lomror, who took Bihar attack to cleansers, hammered five fours and as many sixes. Openers Bharat Sharma (38) and Ankit Lamba (38) too played their parts to perfection.
Rajasthan bowlers then restricted Bihar to 148/4 as a fighting unbeaten 68 from Mangai Mahrour went in vain.