Shreyas Iyer led Mumbai cricket team created history by defeating table topper Andhra Pradesh in a record high-scoring thriller in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2024-2025 cricket tournament.

Needing to qualify for the knockout stage in a must win final Group ‘E’ league game, the 2022 edition champions Mumbai, successfully chased down a huge target of 230 with four wickets in hand and three balls to spare.

Mumbai in the process broke the previous high successful run chase of 227-run set by Pondicherry against Andhra Pradesh way back in 2021. Two times winner Baroda which had set a world record score of 349 for 5 on the back of Bhanu Pania's unbeaten 134 (51b: 5x4s, 11x6s) in their final Group B league game of the current edition SMAT against minnows Sikkim, is the only other side to chase down a 220-plus target, achieving the feat during a 222-run chase against Tamil Nadu in Indore last month.

Former Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane anchored the run chase with a 54-ball 95, laced with nine fours and four sixes after a rollicking start with fellow opener Prithvi Shaw, while plundering boundaries at will in the Powerplay under floodlights. While Shaw fell on 34 after the duo had added 51 runs in 24 balls, the veteran Rahane who has played 195 international matches while representing India across all formats of the game, maintained the tempo as Mumbai scored 80 without further loss with in- form Iyer in the powerplay. Their enterprising 75-run alliance in 35 balls for the second wicket was ended by pacer K V Sasikanth (2/59) after the latter castled Iyer (25) in the 10th over.

The loss of T20 specialist and current Indian captain in the shorter format of the game, Suryakumar Yadav (4) by Andhra’s left arm pacer Cheepurapalli Stephen (4/45) soon after proved to be a minor blip in the run chase. All-rounder Shivam Dube (34) continued the momentum in his brief 18-ball knock in the presence of Rahane who earlier registered his 46 fifty off 23 balls with a single off left arm spinner BV Vinay in his 252 T20 innings of his illustrious career. The dismissal of both these set batsmen in space of consecutive balls provided their rivals an opportunity to make a comeback.

Needing 32 runs at this stage with 17 balls in hand and 30 off 12, Suryansh Shedge smashed an unbeaten 30 off eight in the company of Shardul Thakur. The 21-year old, a trainee at the Navi Mumbai based Dr. D Y Patil Sports Academy, batting low down the order made it count when it mattered the most in his debut year. Shedge hit three consecutive sixes between deep mid-wicket to extra cover region, off Sasikanth in his expensive final over that yielded 24 runs to bring down the equation to six in the final over. Bought by Punjab Kings at the IPL 2025 auction for his base price of INR 30 lakhs, the right handed batting all-rounder scored the winning runs with back to back boundaries off PVSN Raju (0/50) much to the delight of the appreciative crowd and his team mates. Mumbai in the process pipped their rivals to the top of the Group Table on the basis of their fifth win in six outings.

Earlier put in to bat first, Andhra Pradesh scored a massive 229 for 4 in their 20 overs, at the back of fifties from openers KS Bharat and Ashwin Hebbar along with their skipper Ricky Bhui who came in at no. 3. The 31-year old wicketkeeper batter Bharat who has played seven Tests for India registered his highest T20 score as he remained unbeaten on 93 off 53 deliveries with eight fours and four maximums also formed the basis of two centuries stand with Hebbar (52) and Bhui (68) on a losing cause. Incidentally it was his fourth half century (including three unbeaten ones) in the current edition of the tourney.

Mumbai will next take on Group D table topper Vidarbha in the fourth quarter-final to be played at Alur Cricket Stadium, Alur on Wednesday, 11 December. Meanwhile, second placed Andhra who too had won five games in six outings will face Group C second place team Uttar Pradesh in the second pre-quarterfinal on Monday, 9 December, 2024.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 Knockout schedule:

Pre-Quarters – Monday, 9 December, 2024

PQF 1 – Bengal Vs Chandigarh – M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

PQF 2 – Andhra Vs Uttar Pradesh – M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Quarterfinals – Wednesday, 11 December, 2024

QF 1 – Baroda Vs Winner PQF 1 – M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

QF 2 – Delhi Vs Winner PQF 2 – M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

QF 3 – Madhya Pradesh Vs Saurashtra – Alur Cricket Stadium, Alur

QF 4 – Mumbai Vs Vidarbha – Alur Cricket Stadium, Alur

Semifinals – Friday 13, December. 2024

SF1 – Winner QF1 Vs Winner QF4 – M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

SF2 – Winner QF2 Vs Winner QF3 – M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Final – Sunday, 15 December.  2024
Winner SF1 Vs Winner SF2 - M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Brief Scores (Group E Final league Match):

Andhra – 229 for 4 in 20 Overs (KS Bharat 93* (53b: 8x4s, 4x6s), Ricky Bhui 68 (31b: 7x4s, 4x6s), Ashwin Hebbar 52 (29b: 7x4s, 2x6s); Tanush Kotian 1/31, Shams Mulani 1/36, Shardul Thakur 1/41, Mohit Avasthi  1/41) lost to Mumbai – 233 for 6 in 19. 3 Overs (Ajinkya Rahane 95 (54b: 9x4s, 4x6s), Prithvi Shaw (15b: 4x4s, 2x6s), Shreyas Iyer 25 (11b: 3x6s), Shivam Dube 34 (18b: 3x4s, 2x6s), Suryansh Shedge 30* (8b: 2x4s, 3x6s); Stephen 4/45, KV Sasikanth 2/59) by four wickets and three balls to spare.

Photo Cover: Mumbai opener Ajinkya Rahane  (95 off 54 balls) lead his teams fight with third half century of the tournament against Andhra Pradesh (Photos courtesy BCCI)

Photo Above: Suryansh Shedge eight ball 30-run blitzkrieg paved the way for the 2022 edition winner Mumbai in to the last eight round of SMAT