SMAT 2024-25: Mumbai, Baroda, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh progress to semis

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Blazing batting performances were at the core of Mumbai, Baroda, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh progressing to the semifinals of the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after winning their respective quarterfinal games held in Alur and Bengaluru. 

Madhya Pradesh entered their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semifinal since the 2010/11 season after they beat Saurashtra by six wickets. Saurashtra posted 174/7, thanks to Chirag Jani hitting an unbeaten 80 off 45 deliveries.

In reply, Arpit Gaud (42) and Subhranshu Senapati (24) got the M.P. chase off to a flying start, before captain Rajat Patidar (28), along with Venkatesh Iyer hitting 38 not out off 33 deliveries, after taking 2/23 and Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s nine-ball 22 not out got MP over the line with four balls to spare.

Baroda continued their red-hot form by getting into the last-four stage after beating Bengal by 41 runs. The foundation of their score of 172 was laid by their openers Shashwat Rawat (40) and Abhimanyusingh Rajput (37) sharing a 90-run opening stand.

Cameos from Shivalik Sharma (24), Bhanu Pania (17) and Vishnu Solanki (16 not out) carried Baroda to an imposing total. In reply, Lukman Meriwala took three Bengal top-order wickets in the same over. Shahbaz Ahmed waged a lone battle by hitting 55 off 36 balls but never got support from the other end as Bengal were dismissed for 131 inside 18 overs.

Mumbai had created waves by chasing 230 against Andhra Pradesh in the league stage and continued in the same vein to hunt down 222 against Vidarbha to book theirsemi-finals spot. Atharva Taide (66) and Apoorv Wankhade (51) added 81 for the third wicket, before Shubham Dubey (43), Mandar Mahale (13) and Jitesh Sharma (11) got them past 220-mark.

In reply, Ajinkya Rahane added 83 runs in just seven overs during his opening partnership with Prithvi Shaw (49). Rahane went on to hit 84 off 45 balls, before being dismissed by Yash Thakur in the 16th over.

Suryansh Shedge (37 not out) picked 24 runs off Mahale in the 17th over, before Shivam Dube hit a brace of sixes off Dipesh Parwani to get the game in Mumbai’s favour.

Delhi, last year’s semifinalists, made their second straight march to the last-four stage with a 19-run win over Uttar Pradesh. Wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat slammed an unbeaten 73 off just 33 balls as Delhi posted 193/3, with Priyansh Arya (44) and Yash Dhull (42) chipping in.

In defence of the big total, their bowlers, led by Prince Yadav’s 3-36, restricted Uttar Pradesh to 174, with Priyam Garg’s 54 going in vain, as he didn’t get the desired support from the rest of the batters. The semifinals will be held on Friday in Bengaluru, with Mumbai taking on Baroda and Delhi facing off against Madhya Pradesh.

Brief scores:

Saurashtra 173/7 in 20 overs (Chirag Jani 80 not out, Venkatesh Iyer 2-23, Avesh Kahn 2-51) lost to Madhya Pradesh 174/4 in 19.2 overs (Arpit Gaud 42, Venkatesh Iyer 38 not out, Prerak Mankad 1-20) by six wickets

Baroda 172/7 in 20 overs (Shashwat Rawat 40, Abhimanyusingh Rajput 37, Pradipta Pramanik 2-6) beat Bengal 131 all out in 18 overs (Shahbaz Ahmed 55, Lukman Meriwala 3-17, Hardik Pandya 3-27) by 41 runs

Vidarbha 221/6 in 20 overs (Atharva Taide 66, Apoorv Wankhade 51; Atharva Ankolekar 2-32) lost to Mumbai 224/4 in 19.2 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 84, Prithvi Shaw 49, Shivam Dube 37 not out; Dipesh Parwani 2-33) by six wickets

Delhi 193/3 in 20 overs (Anuj Rawat 73 not out, Priyansh Arya 44; Nitish Rana 1-23) beat Uttar Pradesh 174 all out in 20 overs (Priyam Garg 54, Prince Yadav 3-36, Suyash Sharma 2-36) by 19 runs

--IANS

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