Mumbai have done it. After winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022-23, Shreyas Iyer and co. have once again become champions after beating Madhya Pradesh by five wickets in the final. Rajat Patidar’s lone warrior knock went in vain as the mighty Mumbai comprising of Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Shedge put up a dominating show to pull off an easy run-chase.
Mumbai overpower Madhya Pradesh to become SMAT champs
Mumbai entered this contest as hot favourites to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but were up against a resilient Madhya Pradesh led by skipper Rajat Patidar. A top-order collapse from MP saw skipper Patidar rise up to the occasion and fought a solo battle to power his side to a formidable 174 run total at the end of 20 overs. The likes of Venkatesh Iyer failed to fire, forcing Patidar to shoulder all the responsibility once again.
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In response, Mumbai didn’t exactly get off to a bright start, with Prithvi Shaw flopping once again. The batter, who has not managed to score a single fifty in this edition of SMAT, was sent packing for just 10 runs. Veteran Ajinkya Rahane once again played a valuable 37-run knock for his side, providing them the stability after losing an early wicket. Skipper Shreyas Iyer had a short-lived stint at the crease, managing to score just 16 runs.
It was then India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav who took it on himself to step on the accelerator. He smashed 48 off 35 deliveries, hitting 4 fours and three sixes. Shivam Dube managed to get only a couple of boundaries before being dismissed for 9 runs.
And then came the Suryansh Shedge show! The Mumbai finisher, who has been in red-hot form in this tournament with a strike rate of above 200, once again did the job for the side. His quickfire 36-run knock just 15 deliveries, laced with three fours and sixes each powered Mumbai to the SMAT crown in a dominating fashion.
