Harnoor, Salil Arora power Punjab in big chase
In a high-scoring run-fest at the DY Patil Academy in Pune, Punjab pulled off a sensational heist, chasing down a mammoth target of 226 to defeat Madhya Pradesh by two wickets in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League encounter. Asked to bat first, Madhya Pradesh came out all guns blazing, with Venkatesh Iyer acting as the lynchpin. Iyer's aggressive 70 off 43 balls, studded with eight boundaries and two sixes, set the tone before late cameos from Aniket Verma (31 off 16) and Mangesh Yadav (28 off 12) propelled MP to a formidable 225/8. Gurnoor Brar (3-45) and Ramandeep Singh (2-38) were amongst the wickets but leaked runs as MP's batters dominated proceedings.
Punjab's response was nothing short of emphatic, led by a blistering start from opener Harnoor Singh, who smashed a 36-ball 64 to keep the required rate in check. While wickets fell at regular intervals, Punjab's middle order kept the foot on the gas. Anmolpreet Singh (38 off 14) and Salil Arora (50 off 29) played crucial hands to bridge the gap, but it was Ramandeep Singh who applied the finishing touches. The all-rounder held his nerve in a tense finale, blasting an unbeaten 35 off just 21 deliveries. With 23 runs needed off the last two overs, Ramandeep took charge, sealing the chase with a six off the first ball of the final over to hand Punjab a memorable win with five balls to spare.
Andhra Pradesh ended their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign on a high, registering a consolation nine-run victory over table-toppers Jharkhand in a high-scoring Group A Super League clash in Pune. Asked to bat first, Andhra's openers Srikar Bharat (35 off 19) and Ashwin Hebbar (30 off 18) provided a flying start, adding 61 runs inside the powerplay. While the middle order stuttered briefly, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy injected momentum with a blistering 45 off just 22 balls, studded with six fours and two sixes. Late cameos from Pyla Avinash (20 off 12) and Saurabh Kumar (16* off 12) ensured Andhra finished with a formidable 203/7, challenging the in-form Jharkhand lineup.
In reply, Jharkhand appeared to be cruising toward their tenth consecutive win as openers Ishan Kishan (35 off 18) and Virat Singh (77 off 40) stitched together an explosive 88-run stand in just 6.5 overs. However, the chase derailed once the partnership was broken, with Andhra's bowlers chipping away at regular intervals. Nitish Reddy returned with the ball to claim 2-32, while Saurabh Kumar (2-21) applied the squeeze in the middle overs. Despite Virat Singh's heroic knock, which included seven sixes, the lower order failed to keep up with the asking rate, leaving Jharkhand stranded on 194/8. Despite the loss, Jharkhand qualified for the final due to their superior net run rate.
Chasing a mammoth 217 for victory, Mumbai made a mockery of the target, hunting it down with 11 balls to spare to register a thrilling three-wicket win over Rajasthan. The foundation of the chase was laid by a belligerent 22-ball 73 from Sarfaraz Khan, who tore into the Rajasthan attack with six fours and seven sixes. While Sarfaraz provided the explosive momentum, veteran Ajinkya Rahane played the perfect anchor, remaining unbeaten on 72 off 41 deliveries to guide his side home. Despite a mini-collapse triggered by Manav Suthar's impressive spell of 3-23, a late nine-ball 26 cameo from Atharva Ankolekar ensured Mumbai crossed the finish line comfortably in 18.1 overs.
Earlier, Rajasthan's decision to bat first paid rich dividends as they posted an imposing 216/4 on the board. The innings was built on consistent contributions throughout the order, with opener Ramnivas Golada setting the tone with a brisk 48. Deepak Hooda kept the momentum going with a solid 51 off 31 balls, before Mukul Choudhary applied the finishing touches with a blistering unbeaten 54 off just 28 deliveries. Mahipal Lomror also chipped in with a handy 39, but their collective effort was eventually overshadowed by the brilliance of Sarfaraz and Rahane in the second half.
Haryana produced a dominant all-round performance to thrash Hyderabad by 124 runs, booking their place in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 final. Sent into bat, Haryana posted a mammoth 246/7, their innings powered by a brutal assault from the middle and lower order. While skipper Ankit Kumar laid the platform with a blistering 57 off 27 balls, it was the late fireworks from Samant Jakhar (60 off 22) and Parth Vats (quick-fire cameo with back-to-back sixes) that propelled the score beyond 240. The final over was absolute carnage, yielding 25 runs as Anshul Kamboj and Vats took the Hyderabad attack to the cleaners.
Chasing a daunting target of 247, Hyderabad's response never got going as they were bundled out for a paltry 122 in 15.1 overs. The chase was derailed early by Haryana's disciplined bowling attack, with Anshul Kamboj and Amit Rana wreaking havoc. Hyderabad kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with only brief resistance from Aman Rao Perala (13) and a few others preventing a complete collapse earlier in the innings. The defeat was a harsh reality check for Hyderabad, who had been unbeaten in the Super League until this game, while Haryana's massive win not only secured them a spot in the summit clash but also significantly boosted their net run rate.
