Meghalaya suffers heavy defeat, Kshitij Singhania shines with 94 not out  

Meghalaya faced a heavy defeat against Baroda in the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, losing by an innings and 217 runs at the MCA Ground in Polo. Despite the team’s struggles, Kshitij Singhania emerged as a standout performer, playing a gritty innings of 94 not out.  

Baroda declared their first innings at 608/6 overnight, a commanding total that left Meghalaya chasing a 430-run deficit after managing just 178 in their first innings. Meghalaya’s second innings started disastrously, with the top three batters dismissed for ducks by pacer Het G Patel, who eventually finished with impressive figures of 5/41.  

Kshitij’s innings began with the team in deep trouble at 5/3. He anchored the recovery, hitting 14 boundaries and a six in his 170-ball knock. Support came from captain Dipankar Baruah (32) and Gaurav Narleng (46), who contributed crucial partnerships of 63 and 64 runs, respectively. Narleng fell just short of a half-century, while Shavian Blah added 29 runs before being dismissed.  

Despite losing partners at the other end, Kshitij kept the scoreboard ticking. However, his valiant effort was cut short when No. 11 batter Gaurav Jyoti Thakuria was run out attempting a quick single, leaving Meghalaya all out for 213.  

This marked Baroda’s fourth consecutive win in Elite Group A, solidifying their status as the team to beat. Meghalaya, meanwhile, suffered their fourth defeat, exposing areas that need improvement. MCA Honorary Secretary Gideon Kharkongor praised the promising performances of Kshitij, Narleng, and Shavian but emphasized the need for better temperament, fielding, and bowling to compete at this level.  

Meghalaya will aim to bounce back in their next match against Karnataka, scheduled to begin on December 6 in Bangalore.