Jharkhand produced one of their best performances to lift their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, beating Haryana by 69 runs in the final at Pune. Skipper Ishan Kishan was the star of the night, smashing a brilliant century to script a historic win and cap off a dream campaign for his team.
Put in to bat after losing the toss, Jharkhand got off to a good start after losing Virat Singh in the first over. Kishan took on the opposition bowlers in the powerplay and ensured Jharkhand reached 69 for 1 inside the first six overs.
At the other end, Kumar Kushagra provided perfect support. The duo stitched together a huge 177-run stand for the second wicket. Kishan raced to his half-century in no time and Kushagra, equally, brought up his fifty off just 29 balls.
The Jharkhand captain reached his century off 47 balls and eventually fell for a 101 off 49 deliveries, lacing his knock with six fours and ten sixes. His dismissal gave Haryana some respite, but the damage had already been done. Kushagra followed soon after with an 81 off 38 balls, placing Jharkhand on course for a record total.
Anukul Roy and Robin Minz gave the perfect finish to their team. Anukul’s 40 off 20 balls and Minz’s unbeaten 31 off just 14 ensured Jharkhand finished with 262 for 3, the highest total ever recorded in a T20 tournament final.
Chasing 263, Haryana lost their top three batters inside the powerplay. Yashvardhan Dalal and Nishant Sindhu briefly triggered some belief as Dalal brought up a 19-ball fifty while Sindhu found gaps comfortably. However, once Anukul Roy removed both batters in quick succession, the game once again swung Jharkhand’s way.
Sushant Mishra and Bal Krishna picked up three wickets apiece, while Anukul chipped in with two wickets. Haryana were eventually bowled out for 193 in 18.3 overs, sealing a comprehensive victory for Jharkhand. The final was a fitting end to a remarkable campaign for Jharkhand, with Ishan Kishan named Player of the Match and Anukul Roy finishing as Player of the Series.
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