AZAD MAIDAN: In a high-stakes Plate Division quarter-final of the 64th Sir Benegal Rama Rau Bank Shield T20 Cricket Tournament, YES Bank clinical performance saw them overcome State Bank of India (SBI) by five wickets. The tournament, organized by the RBI under the auspices of the MCA, witnessed a tactical battle at the iconic Azad Maidan.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, State Bank of India struggled to capitalize on the opportunity. Their innings never truly gained the necessary velocity, as they were restricted to a modest total of 124 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs.

The resistance was led by Gautam Yadav, who remained unbeaten with a resilient 41 runs, and Rajeev Kamath, who contributed 37. However, the rest of the lineup found it difficult to contend with the discipline of the YES Bank bowling attack. Saurabh Kulwade was particularly impressive, returning figures of 2 for 12, while Shailesh Agarwal provided excellent support with 2 for 22.

The chase was anchored by a standout performance from Abhishek Surve. His unbeaten 57 off 53 balls provided the composure YES Bank needed to navigate the pressure of a knockout match. Supported by Pratik Mane, who added a valuable 28 runs, YES Bank reached 125 for 5 with an over to spare.

While SBI’s Abhijit Salgaonkar (3 for 24) and Jeetendra Vaity (2 for 23) kept the contest alive with timely breakthroughs, they lacked sufficient runs on the board to defend.

In other tournament action, Citi Bank displayed strong form to secure their own quarter-final spot, recording a 27-run victory over Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Brief scores – Quarter-finals: 

Citi Bank 156 for 7, 20 overs (Rahul Soni 47, Mangesh Palav 33, Puneet Gamani 26; Abhishek Dongre 2 for 27, Aman Gujar 2 for 27) beat Kotak Mahindra Bank 129 all out, 19.2 overs (Aman Gujar 21; Sushant Shetty 2 for 23, Alok Shastri 2 for 30) by 27 runs.

State Bank of India 124 for 7, 20 overs (Gautam Yadav 41*, Rajeev Kamath 37; Saurabh Kulwade 2 for 12, Shailesh Agarwal 2 for 22) lost to YES Bank 125 for 5, 19 overs (Abhishek Surve 57* (53-balls, 4×4), Pratik Mane 28; Abhijit Salgaonkar 3 for 24, Jeetendra Vaity 2 for 23) 5 wickets.