Jaipur, Dec 31 (NationPress) In-form Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan launched a spectacular innings, scoring 157 runs off just 75 balls, leading Mumbai to a dominating 87-run victory over Goa in an Elite Group C match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground on Wednesday.

Sarfaraz, 27, achieved his third List A century in a mere 56 deliveries, showcasing his prowess with nine fours and 14 sixes that dismantled Goa's bowling lineup. Mumbai's middle order seized the opportunity after Goa opted to bowl first.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, returning from a bout of acute gastroenteritis, and Musheer Khan contributed a solid 70-run partnership for the second wicket before Jaiswal was dismissed for 46. The brothers Sarfaraz and Musheer then forged a formidable 93-run partnership for the third wicket, with Sarfaraz going on to score 104 runs off 46 balls against spinners Misal and Lalit Yadav, while captain Shardul Thakur hit 26 runs in a single over from Shubham Tari.

Hardik Tamore's rapid 53 runs off 28 balls and Tanush Kotian's unbeaten 23 off 12 balls helped Mumbai achieve their second-highest List A total. Chasing a massive 445 runs, Goa struggled early on as openers Arjun Tendulkar and Kashyap Bakle failed to capitalize on their starts.

Abhinav Tejrana attempted a comeback with a century off 70 balls, forming a partnership of 117 runs with Lalit for the fifth wicket. Captain Deepraj Gaonkar's explosive 70 runs off 28 balls extended the innings, but Goa ultimately succumbed to 357 all out, marking Mumbai's fourth consecutive win in the tournament.

In another match, Punjab secured a convincing six-wicket victory over Himachal Pradesh, aided by Sukhdeep Bajwa's impressive four-wicket haul and fifties from Prabhsimran Singh and Anmolpreet Singh. Bajwa's performance restricted Himachal Pradesh to 227 runs, with Naman Dhir contributing two wickets.

In response, Punjab's batsmen made short work of the target. Prabhsimran top-scored with 84 runs, while Anmolpreet added a steady 72 runs. Dhir capped off an all-round performance with an unbeaten 50 to lead Punjab to victory with six wickets remaining.

Maharashtra also showcased a commanding all-round display to secure a 129-run victory over Uttarakhand. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad spearheaded the effort with a magnificent 124 runs, while Satyajeet Bachhav provided essential support with a brisk 56 off 45 balls, and Ramakrishna Ghosh finished with a fiery 47 off 31 deliveries.

Uttarakhand's chase never gained traction as Maharashtra's bowlers dominated. Bachhav complemented his batting with three wickets, Ramakrishna Ghosh chipped in with two, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar also took three to bowl Uttarakhand out for 202 runs.

Brief scores:

Mumbai 444/8 in 50 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 157, Musheer Khan 60; Darshan Misal 3-98) beat Goa 357/9 in 50 overs (Abhinav Tejrana 100, Deepraj Gaonkar 70; Shardul Thakur 3-20) by 87 runs.

Maharashtra 331/7 in 50 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 124, Satyajeet Bachhav 56; Devendra Bora 3-81) beat Uttarakhand 202 in 43.4 overs (Saurabh Rawat 56; Satyajeet Bachhav 3-22) by 129 runs.

Himachal Pradesh 221 in 47.2 overs (Pukhraj Mann 76, Mridul Surroch 58; Sukhdeep Bajwa 4-17) lost to Punjab 223/4 in 36.1 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 84, Anmolpreet Singh 72; Rohit Kumar 2-32) by six wickets.

Chhattisgarh 355/3 in 50 overs (Vikalp Tiwari 112 not out, Ayush Pandey 86; Mohammed Saptulla 1-24) defeated Sikkim 126 all out in 34 overs (Gurinder Singh 47, Palzor Tamang 43; Dev Aditya Singh 4-25, Ajay Mandal 4-40) by 229 runs.