NEW DELHI: Leveraging a splendid performance from top-order batsman
Himanshu Rana
, who notched up his fourth List-A century, and a stellar four-wicket haul from pacer
Anshul Kamboj
, Haryana convincingly defeated five-time champions Tamil Nadu by 63 runs, securing a spot in their maiden
Vijay Hazare Trophy
final on Wednesday.
Riding on Rana's unbeaten 116 off 118 deliveries, Haryana posted an imposing total of 293 for seven in 50 overs.
In response, they bowled out Dinesh Karthik-led Tamil Nadu for 230 in 47.1 overs in a one-sided encounter at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
Kamboj delivered a career-best performance with bowling figures of 4/30 across all domestic formats, causing the Tamil Nadu batsmen significant trouble.
Haryana will face the winners of the second semifinal between Rajasthan and Karnataka, scheduled to be played on Thursday.
Rana's pivotal contribution, particularly his 132-run partnership with opener Yuvraj Singh (65), played a crucial role in Haryana's commanding victory, with Rana displaying a blend of caution and aggression at the right moments.
Haryana suffered an early setback when opener Ankit Kumar was dismissed for 12, but No.3 Rana and Yuvraj started the rebuilding process.
The 25-year-old Rana was the more aggressive of the two batters, smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes to notch a strike rate in the vicinity of 100.
Things were going pretty smoothly for the pair but young Yuvraj's dismissal, caught by Sai Kishore off left-arm pacer T. Natarajan, saw Haryana suffer a major collapse before tailender Sumit Kumar played a cameo innings of 48 (30 balls) to give Haryana an imposing total.
Tamil Nadu stuttered at the start, losing veteran opener Baba Aparajith for 7 before Anshul Kamboj started the demolition job.
The 23-year-old right-arm pacer, playing only his 14th List A game dismissed Hari Nishaanth for 1, thus adding to Tamil Nadu's dismal outing.
TN stalwart and Aparajith's twin brother, Baba Indrajith, halted the slide with a patient 64 but his dismissal, clean bowled by Kamboj in the 41st over all but ended Tamil Nadu's bid to enter the final and aim for a sixth title.
The last time Tamil Nadu had made it to the title round was in the 2021-22 season, losing to Himachal Pradesh at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Brief scores: Haryana (Yuvraj Singh 65, Himanshu Rana 116 not out, Sumit Kumar 48; T Natarajan 3/79, Varun Chakravarthy 2/67, Sai Kishore 2/41) beat Tamil Nadu 230 in 47.1 overs (Narayan Jagadeesan 30, Baba Indrajith 64,
Dinesh Karthik
31; Anshul Kamboj 4/30, Rahul Tewatia 2/50).
(With PTI Inputs)
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