Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21: Mumbai clinch 4th title after Prithvi Shaw, Aditya Tare show in Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 14: Skipper Prithvi Shaw's marauding 73 off 39 balls followed by former skipper Aditya Tare's unbeaten hundred guided Mumbai to their most deserving Vijay Hazare title triumph with a crushing six -wicket victory over Uttar Pradesh in one of most lopsided final on Sunday.
Opting to bat, UP rode on opener Madhav Kaushik's unbeaten 158 to post 312/4, but it was overshadowed by the Shaw blitzkrieg which set the platform for Tare to finish off the chase in style with as many as 51 balls remaining.
This is Mumbai's fourth Hazare title and the one to remember for Shaw (827 runs), who now holds the record for highest runs scored in single edition of this competition.
Shaw (73 off 39 balls; 10x4, 4x6) and fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (29; 3x4; 1x6) gave the side an aggressive start by conjuring 89 runs in 9.1 overs.
Shaw started with a cover-drive, off left arm seamer Yash Dayal. He got a life on 5, after being dropped by Karan Sharma at mid-off, and he then smashed three fours in the second over off Aaqib Khan.
He then took on Dayal, hammering two boundaries and a six over mid-wicket, his trademark pull-shot, as Mumbai raced to 32/0 after three overs.
Shaw continued his onslaught and notched up his 50 in only 30 balls, with a six, another pull shot, but then holed in the deep off Shivam Mavi when another hundred looked imminent.
Jaiswal and Tare added 38-run stand but the left handed opener gave Shivam Sharma his first wicket, after being caught by Mavi but Mumbai were already on course with a run-rate of 8.5 runs per over.
Veteran Tare, who hammered 18 boundaries in his 107-ball knock, anchored the innings and found an able ally in Shams Mulani (36), as the duo took the game deep, as Mumbai cruised to the target, with 174/2 after 25 overs.
Tare and Mulani kept playing shots at will as the duo added crucial 88-runs for the third wicket. But Mulani perished in the 31st over, with Mumbai still needing another 98 runs.
However, Tare kept the momentum going as he hammered Dayal for three boundaries in the 33rd over, even as Shivam Dube (42 off 28 balls; 6x4, 1x6) played a fitting cameo.
Tare completed his century in 91 balls, his first in List A cricket, with a single. The Tare-Dube duo took Mumbai on the cusp of a win, adding 88 runs for the fourth wicket before the former skipper played a back cut between point and short third man to complete the formalities.
Earlier, UP rode on opener Madhav Kaushik's unbeaten 158 to post 312 for four.
Kaushik, who hammered 15 fours and four sixes, in his 156-ball knock and Samarth Singh (55 off 73 balls; 4x4; 3x6) added 122 runs for the first wicket to lay the foundation of a big score.
It will be some consolation that Kaushik is now the highest individual scorer in a National One Day Championship final, surpassing Mayank Agarwal's 125 against Punjab in 2014.
Brief Scores: Uttar Pradesh 312/4 (Madhav Kaushik 158 not out, Akshdeep Nath 55; Tanush Kotian 2/54, Prashant Solanki 1/71) lost to Mumbai 315/4 (Aditya Tare 118 not out, Prithvi Shaw 73, Shivam Mavi 1/63) by six wickets.
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Kerala Imam's call to open mosques for Attukal Pongala devotees goes viral
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The appeal of Palayam Imam V P Suhaib Maulavi to open mosques and Muslim houses to Hindu devotees on the upcoming Attukal Pongala festival day here has gone viral on social media platforms, with many netizens describing it as the example of the real Kerala story.
Attukal Pongala, which falls on March 3 this year, is considered one of the largest women gatherings in the world, in which lakhs of women, cutting across ages, gather in the capital city to take part in the festivities.
Maulavi, during his Friday sermon, urged the members of the Muslim community to extend hospitality to Hindu devotees arriving in the city for the Pongala festival.
In his address, he said that although Attukal Pongala is associated with a different faith and Muslims do not take part in its rituals and ceremonies, the occasion presents an opportunity to serve as gracious hosts to the thousands of women and children who visit Thiruvananthapuram as guests.
"Like last year, Pongala is being observed during the holy month of Ramadan this time as well. We must share the spirit of joy, fraternity and love that defines Ramadan with our sisters and their children who come here for Pongala," he said.
Maulavi called upon the community to arrange drinking water and Ramadan food items for the devotees and to ensure facilities for their rest.
"Arrangements should be made for their rest. Our mosques and homes should be opened to them. This is an occasion to openly demonstrate our love and brotherhood," he said.
Maulavi further stressed that the growing Islamophobia and hatred in the country and the world can be countered effectively only through love and fraternity.
He described the festival as an ideal opportunity to reinforce the message of harmony.
The Muslim cleric's speech soon went viral on social media platforms.
Cutting across religion, people shared his video clippings on various platforms and hailed his gesture as an example of the real Kerala story, harmony and brotherhood among different religions and communities in Kerala.
His appeal assumed significance in view of the ongoing row over the "Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond" movie.
