India, Jan. 16 -- Punjab will head into the Vijay Hazare Trophy semifinal against Saurashtra here on Friday brimming with confidence after surviving a nail-biting one-run victory over domestic powerhouse Mumbai in their final group match. That thrilling win has set the tone for the rest of their campaign as was evident in the manner in which Punjab demolished Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinal. Now, a young and determined Saurashtra side stands in their way.

With charismatic India opener Abhishek Sharma unlikely to feature, wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh is expected to lead the side, having already steered Punjab to a commanding 183-run triumph over Madhya Pradesh, underpinned by a colossal 345-run total.

Harnoor Singh, Prabhsimr...