Pune, Dec 12 (NationPress) In a remarkable start to their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League journey, Haryana achieved a dominant seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan. Meanwhile, Kumar Kushagra delivered an outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 86 to lead Jharkhand in chasing down a daunting target of 236 against Punjab.

At the MCA Stadium, bowlers Anshul Kamboj and Ishant Bhardwaj combined to take four wickets, limiting Rajasthan to 132/8. In response, captain Ankit Kumar made a swift 60 off 41 balls, guiding the team to victory with 22 balls remaining.

Haryana chose to field first, and their bowlers made immediate impact, taking four wickets during the PowerPlay. Kunal Singh Rathore went for a duck, and Deepak Hooda made an unusual exit without scoring.

Despite resistance from Shubham Garhwal (33) and Mahipal Lomror (37 not out), the early collapse proved too much to recover from. Both Kamboj and Bhardwaj recorded identical figures of 2-24.

In their chase of 133, Haryana's top order ensured smooth sailing with no early hiccups. Ankit built partnerships of 37, 52, and 40 with Aarsh Ranga, Yashvardhan Dalal, and Himanshu Rana, respectively, maintaining a steady flow of runs. His innings, featuring eight fours and a six, marked his third fifty in the tournament as Haryana comfortably reached their target.

Over at the DY Patil Academy in Ambi, Jharkhand made history by successfully chasing down Punjab's total of 235/6, setting a record for the highest chase in the competition's history. Kushagra's blistering 86 off just 42 balls propelled his team to victory with six wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.

Punjab's innings featured a dazzling performance from wicketkeeper-batter Salil Arora, who scored 125 runs off only 45 deliveries, registering his century in just 39 balls. Jharkhand's response was equally impressive.

Skipper Ishan Kishan contributed 47 runs off 23 balls, setting the stage for the successful chase as Kushagra formed pivotal partnerships with Anukul Roy and Pankaj Kumar, securing Jharkhand's eighth consecutive win in the tournament.

Brief Scores: Rajasthan 132/8 in 20 overs (Mahipal Lomror 37 not out, Shubham Garhwal 33; Anshul Kamboj 2-24, Ishant Bhardwaj 2-24) lost to Haryana 133/3 in 16.2 overs (Ankit Kumar 60, Arsh Ranga 27; Rahul Chahar 1-17) by seven wickets.

Punjab 235/6 in 20 overs (Salil Arora 125 not out, Naman Dhir 27; Sushant Mishra 2-47, Bal Krishna 2-66) lost to Jharkhand 237/4 in 18.1 overs (Kumar Kushagra 86, Ishan Kishan 47; Ramandeep Singh 1-37, Sanvir Singh 1-40) by six wickets.