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Mumbai Archives Second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title
Mumbai Archives Second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title
Mumbai won second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title with five-wicket win over Madhya Pradesh in thrilling final.
Mumbai achieved a five-wicket victory over Madhya Pradesh and became the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champion on Sunday at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
In front of a lively and packed crowd, the tournament final saw Mumbai successfully chase down a challenging target of 175 runs. Opener Ajinkya Rahane (37 off 30 balls, 4 fours) set the tone, paving the way for Suryakumar Yadav to showcase his brilliance. Suryakumar lit up the chase with a mix of scoops and swivel pulls, scoring a fluent 48 off 35 balls, including 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Mumbai found themselves in a tricky situation when Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed unexpectedly. At 129 for 5, Madhya Pradesh sensed an opportunity. However, Suryansh Shedge (36* off 15 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes) and Atharva Ankolekar (16* off 6 balls, 2 sixes) came to the rescue, forming a blistering unbroken 51-run partnership off just 19 balls for the sixth wicket to guide Mumbai to victory.
The young Suryansh Shedge further strengthened his reputation and became a reliable finisher and gave another fearless knock. This performance helped Mumbai secure their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, as the first one was a maiden win in the 2022-23 season.
The first half of the match was dominated by Madhya Pradesh's captain, Rajat Patidar, who played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 81 off 40 balls. Patidar almost single-handedly took MP to a competitive total, despite the other batters struggling with the tricky bounce. His couple of sixes – a controlled front-foot drive and a perfectly timed hook – earned loud applause. Unfortunately, he was let down by his teammates, who failed to support him.
Harpreet Singh, coming in at number four, slowed the momentum for MP with a painfully slow 23-ball 15, which handed the advantage to Mumbai.