Unheralded Railways today routed a star-studded Punjab team comprising of superstars like Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh by a massive 137-run margin to enter the semi-finals of the National One Day Championship for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Railways will meet hosts Bengal in the semi-final which promises to be an exciting affair after an ill-tempered Ranji Trophy quarter-final at the same venue a couple of months back with discarded India spinner Murali Kartik being one of the central characters due to 'Mankading' controversy.
Railways won a good toss and their skipper Mahesh Rawat led from the front scoring a classy run-a-ball 108 in team's fighting total of 242.
In reply, Krishnakant Upadhyay (2/14) and Anureet Singh (2/26) ripped through the top-order whileleft-arm spinner Ashish Yadav (3/12) polished off the tail with Punjab being skittled out for 105 in 33.4 overs.
Railways were exceptional in the field which resulted in a brilliant run-out of Yuvraj Singh (15, 34 balls), who didn't look comfortable at all during his stay at the crease.
Coming to the crease with Punjab 12 for three after five overs in their pursuit of 243 on a difficult Eden track, Yuvraj had the perfect script but he looked shadow of his past before his anxious innings was cut short by a run-out.
Anureet in an excellent display of inswing bowling had a first ball wicket while Upadhyay wreaked havoc with his outswingers.
It was for the third day in a row, the team that won the toss and batted second won their respective matches as the Eden Gardens track produced variable bounce and swung viciously both ways.
