Ankit leads from the front to power Haryana to win

Captain Ankit Kumar led from the front with an unbeaten 144 (123b, 14×4, 4×6) as Haryana beat Services by seven wickets in a Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group D match at the Alur Grounds near here on Wednesday.

Chasing 272, Haryana lost Mayank Shandilya early (22), but Ankit and Himanshu Rana (64, 69b, 7×4) put on 150 runs for the second wicket before the skipper combined with Parth Vats (34 n.o., 30b, 1×4, 2×6) to carry the side home.

The result was Haryana’s third win in four matches and Services’ fourth defeat in as many games. Pacer Anshul Kamboj made a big contribution too, snaring four Services wickets for 43 runs, including four of the top-five batters.

For Services, Irfan Ali made a century (103, 113b, 9×4, 1×6) and it was his 139-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Nakul Sharma (72, 74b, 3×4, 5×6) that rescued the outfit from a precarious 80 for five. However, even their best efforts couldn’t stop Haryana.

Elsewhere, Odisha beat Delhi by a convincing 79-run margin to hand the latter’s first loss of the 2025-26 campaign. The seasoned Biplab Samantaray top-scored with 72 (74b, 3×4, 4×6) as Odisha, after being put into bat, made 272 for eight.

Rishabh Pant’s Delhi could only make 193 as four of the top-six batters – including the in-form Priyansh Arya – fell for single-digit scores. Harsh Tyagi (43, 71b, 2×4, 1×6) and Hritik Shokeen 32 (24b, 3×4, 2×6) – who also scalped four wickets (10-1-27-4) – resisted but it did not last long as Odisha recorded its third triumph.

In the day’s other match, Andhra lost for a third time this edition as it was overwhelmed by Saurashtra by a margin of 74 runs. Saurashtra made a modest 254, courtesy half-centuries from Harvik Desai (61, 81b, 7×4), Chirag Jani (69, 96b, 4×4, 1×6) and Ruchit Ahir (76, 54b, 7×4, 2×6).

But Andhra could only reach 180, with the highest individual score being opener C.R. Gnaneshwar’s 33. Medium-pacer Ankur Pawar finished with five wickets (10-2-27-5) as Saurashtra brought its Vijay Hazare Trophy journey back on track with its second success from four outings.

The scores: Alur 1: Services 271/8 in 50 overs (Irfan Ali 103, Nakul Sharma 72, Anshul Kamboj 4/43) lost to Haryana 275/3 in 43.1 overs (Ankit Kumar 144 n.o., Himanshu Rana 64); Toss: Haryana.

Alur 2: Gujarat 283 in 47.4 overs (Aarya Desai 40, Jaymeet Patel 75) lost to Railways 287/6 in 48 overs (Sahab Yuvraj Singh 91 n.o., Ravi Singh 72); Toss: Gujarat.

Alur 3: Odisha 272/8 in 50 overs (Biplab Samantaray 72, Hritik Shokeen 4/27) bt Delhi 193 in 42.3 overs (Harsh Tyagi 43); Toss: Delhi.

BCCI-CoE: Saurashtra 254/7 in 50 overs (Harvik Desai 61, Chirag Jani 69, Ruchit Ahir 76) bt Andhra 180 in 47.2 overs (Ankur Panwar 5/27); Toss: Andhra.