During an encounter between Gujarat and Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, Ravi Bishnoi stole the spotlight with a sensational catch to dismiss Karnataka’s key batter, Manish Pandey. The Group B match, held at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, saw Bishnoi’s brilliance on the field.
Ravi Bishnoi’s outstanding catch
The pivotal moment arrived in the fifth over of Gujarat’s innings, when Karnataka’s opener Pandey was facing Gujarat’s skipper, Axar Patel. On the final ball of the over, Pandey smacked a shot that soared towards deep mid-wicket, where Bishnoi was stationed. Despite the ball being initially out of his reach, Bishnoi’s determination was unmatched. Sprinting toward the ball, he dove spectacularly to take a stunning catch, sending the right-handed batter back to the pavilion. Pandey, who had been in destructive form, departed for a well-made 30 runs off just 17 balls, including five fours and a six.
Here is the video:
Brilliant catch 👌👌
Ravi Bishnoi pulls off a fantastic running catch to dismiss the rampaging Manish Pandey 🙌#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/o6oNS3FIlE pic.twitter.com/uZcF0plFlt
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 5, 2024
Bishnoi’s contribution didn’t stop with the spectacular catch. The young leg-spinner was also exceptional with the ball, claiming three crucial wickets in his four-over spell. His performance played a key role in keeping Karnataka’s chase under control.
While Bishnoi took the limelight, Gujarat’s captain, Axar, also played a match-winning role. Axar’s brilliant bowling restricted Karnataka’s batters, as he claimed two wickets in his spell. In addition, he showcased his batting prowess, smashing an explosive 56 runs off just 20 balls, which included two fours and six towering sixes. For his exceptional all-round contribution, Axar was deservedly named the Player of the Match.
Also READ: Baroda scripts history with record-breaking T20 total in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024
Gujarat’s comprehensive victory
Karnataka won the toss and chose to bowl first, but Gujarat made the most of their batting opportunity, posting a mammoth total of 251/5 in their 20 overs. Aarya Desai was the star with the bat, scoring a blistering 73 off 40 balls, featuring five fours and four sixes. In reply, Karnataka fought hard but fell short, finishing at 203/10 in 19.1 overs, losing by 48 runs.
Despite the loss, Karnataka had notable individual performances. Smaran Ravichandran put up a valiant effort with the bat, scoring a quick-fire 49 runs off 21 balls, including a four and six sixes. His aggressive batting kept Karnataka in the hunt, but it wasn’t enough to chase down Gujarat’s massive total.
