An all-round bowling performance from Mumbai helped it beat Bengal comprehensively by eight wickets in the opening Vijay Hazare fixture of Group E at the JSCA International Stadium complex on Saturday.
Electing to field, off-spinner Tanush Kotian (four for 31) scalped four wickets after pacer Tushar Deshpande (two for 20) removed the openers cheaply in the first seven overs to help Mumbai bundle out Bengal for just 121 in 30 overs.
Former skipper Manoj Tiwary was the only batter who managed to get some runs with a valiant 47 even as wickets fell around him.
The only decent partnership of the innings came when Tiwary and Geet Puri added 33 runs for the ninth wicket before the former was dismissed.
Chasing a paltry total, Mumbai, which won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last week, managed to reach the target in just 30.2 overs with skipper Ajinkya Rahane making an unbeaten 59 (72b, 6x4, 2x6).
In the other match in the same group, Pondicherry defeated Mizoram in commanding fashion by seven wickets with 20.2 overs to spare.
Electing to field, Pondicherry restricted Mizoram to just 156 for eight in 50 overs. For Mizoram, except for Shreevats Goswami, who made 63 and Vikash Kumar (41), none of the other batters managed to make any significant contribution. The duo added 81 runs for the fifth wicket.
Chasing a modest score, opener and skipper R. Ragupathy laid the platform with a 47 before the experienced K.B. Arun Karthick slammed an unbeaten 59 (53b, 6x4) and took his side home comfortably.
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