Former champions Air India and last year's runners-up India Cements scored comprehensive victories in Group D to start their campaign in the BCCI Corporate Trophy on a bright note here today.
AI rode on Yuvraj Singh's blistering knock of 105 off 74 balls and an incisive spell of fast bowling by Pankaj Singh to decimate State Bank of Mysore by 102 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.
India Cements defeated Food Corporation of India by 91 runs in the other game at the BKC ground by scoring 240 for 9 in a match reduced to 45 overs because of a wet outfield and then dismissing their rivals for a paltry 149 in 35.4 overs.
Yuvraj carted the SBM bowling in his inimitable fashion by striking 12 fours and five sixes, the last flicked six over fine leg enabling him to reach his century in style to power AI to an imposing 327 for 7 in 50 overs.
Yuvraj also put on 131 runs for the third wicket with Naman Ojha, who made 60 off 41 balls with 2 sixes and 7 fours, to give a timely acceleration to the innings after openers Manvinder Bisla (58) and Sushant Marathe (44) laid a good foundation against some accurate bowling.
The tall Rajasthan Ranji bowling spearhead Pankaj Singh then came up with a superb first spell of 7-5-4-2 to put the shackles on the bankmen who never fully recovered after losing their first wicket without a run on the board and ended up with a final tally of 225 for 8.
Singh finished with 3 for 12 in 9 overs and was well supported by left arm pacer R G Pal (2 for 41) and Roystan Dias (2 for 37).
In the other group game, India Cements rallied after a poor start through a gritty knock of 93 off 116 balls by Baba Aparajith after they tottered at 44 for 3.
Aparajith was involved in a stand of 68 runs with his brother Inderjith (25) for the fourth wicket and of 57 for the fifth wicket with captain Dinesh Karthik (21) which helped India Cements recover from a poor start after they were sent in to bat.
