New Delhi: Suryakumar Yadav slammed his maiden List A ton on Monday as Mumbai defeated Madhya Pradesh comfortably by 74 runs in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy group encounter. Yadav clobbered Madhya Pradesh bowlers all around the park. In his unbeaten inning of 134, 27-year-old smashed 11 fours and 7 towering sixes.
After winning the toss Mumbai opted to bat first. Openers Akhil Herwadkar (49) and Jay Bista (90) provided the team with a solid start. Opening stand of 112 runs ensured that the team was headed towards scoring runs in excess of 300. After Siddhesh Lad (11) was dismissed, Suryakumar came into bat at number four. Along with opener Bista, Yadav stitched a crucial 72-runs partnership. After Bista’s unfortunate run-out, the middle-order batsman switched gears and went after the Madhya Pradesh bowlers. With Yadav’s blistering 134 off 85 balls, Mumbai team ended up scoring 332 for 5 at the end of their designated 50 overs. Avesh Khan bagged 2 wickets and was the most successful bowler for Madhya Pradesh.
Chasing a steep total Madhya Pradesh lost their first wicket on 61. Top-order batsmen got starts but failed to capitalize. Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals and eventually the team got bundled out on 258 in 46.1 overs. Left-arm orthodox Shams Mulani clinched four crucial wickets.
Yadav, who performed brilliantly in the match, was bought by defending champions Mumbai Indians for Rs 3.2 Crores in recently concluded IPL auctions. After representing Mumbai from 2011-2013, the right hander was bought by Kolkata. But in 2018, Mumbai showed faith in the 27-year-old and bought him for a hefty sum. Monday’s inning will surely bring smile on the face of franchise owners.