It was a debut worth its weight in gold. Wicketkeeper-opener Amit Pasi struck a century to set up Baroda’s 13-run win over a fighting Services in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite T20 match at the Gymkhana in Hyderabad on Monday. Batting at No.2, Pasi reached his fifty just off 24 balls and his hundred off 44.
Skipper Vishnu Solanki won the toss and chose to bat first. The move paid off as openers Shashwat Rawat (14) and Pasi got the side off to a good start by adding 38.
Pasi then added 50 for the third wicket with Shivalik Sharma (16). But the most fruitful partnership with the fourth wicket stand between Pasi and Solanki (25). The duo added 75 off 33 balls. Solanki has broken the record for most sixes (61) for Baroda. He went past big-hitting Yusuf Pathan’s record of 60 sixes.
Pasi scored 114 off 55 balls to equal Bilal Asif’s record for the highest score on T20 debut. Pasi’s knock, featuring ten fours and nine sixes, propelled Baroda to 220 for 5. Bhanu Pania also contributed 28 not out off 15 towards the end. Abhishek Tiwari took three for 33 for services.
Openers Kunwar Pathak (51) and Ravi Chauhan (51) struck half-centuries to lead the Services reply. The duo added 84 for the first wicket
Captain Mohit Ahlawat’s 41 off 22 kept the chase going, but apart from Nakul Sharma, he didn’t find much support. Services finished on 207 for 8, their sixth loss in seven games. For Baroda, Raj Limbani was the most successful bowler, picking up 3 for 37.
Baroda are in the third spot in Group C with 16 points.
Brief scores: Baroda 220/5 in 20 overs (Amit Pasi 114, Vishnu Solanki 25, Bhanu Pania 28no; Abhishek Tiwari 3/33) bt Services 207/8 in 20 overs (Kunwar Pathak 51, Ravi Chauhan 51, Mohit Ahlawat 41, Nakul Sharma 24; Raj Limbani 3/37, Safvan Patel 2/37). Baroda 4, Services 0.
