Gujarat, Himachal battle for QF

Ahmedabad, Jan 29: Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are set for a high-stakes clash as they battle for the final quarterfinal spot from Elite Group B during their final Ranji Trophy league game, starting here on Thursday.
Group B leaders Vidarbha (34 points) have already sealed their place in the knockouts after a stunning 221-run comeback win against Rajasthan in the previous round.Now, all eyes are on Gujarat (26 points) and Himachal Pradesh (21 points). They are the two teams that remain in contention to join Vidarbha in the last eight.Meanwhile, Hyderabad (16 points), Rajasthan (16), Uttarakhand (10), Andhra (7), and Puducherry (3) are out of the reckoning.Himachal Pradesh have struggled with consistency all season and must regroup after a crushing innings-and-43-run defeat to lowly-placed Hyderabad, which dented their knockout hopes. The Rishi Dhawan-led side paid the price for an overtly aggressive approach.Left-handed batter Ankit Kalsi, who struck an unbeaten double century earlier in the season, has been Himachal’s standout performer with 549 runs in six matches. The onus will be on him and the top order to deliver in this must-win clash.Gujarat, on the other hand, will enter the match brimming with confidence after a dominant innings-and-28-run victory over Uttarakhand.
Left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai was the star of Gujarat’s win. (PTI)