Courtesy: BCCI
On Friday, December 12, Madhya Pradesh defeated Delhi comprehensively by seven wickets in the second semi-final of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Madhya Pradesh's captain Rajat Patidar led front the front with a sensational fifty in his team's pursuit of the 147-run target set by Delhi, helping them reach the final of the SMAT after 13 years, where they will be taking on Mumbai.
After Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to field first, Madhya Pradesh's bowlers had a strong hold on the match right from the beginning. Despite a decent start from Yash Dhull (11) and Priyansh Arya (29), who scored 38 runs in 33 balls, the Delhi batting lineup struggled under pressure. Tripuresh Singh broke the opening partnership by dismissing Dhull, and Kumar Kartikeya sent Arya back to the pavilion, leaving Delhi on 54/2 in the ninth over.
Venkatesh Iyer had a game-changing spell, dismissing Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni (19) and Himmat Singh (15) in the 11th over of the innings. His figures of 2–12 were critical in lowering Delhi to 79/5. Late efforts from Anuj Rawat (33* of 24) and Mayank Rawat (24 off 21) aided Delhi in posting 146/5 total on the board, which wasn't par for the cause.
Chasing 147-run target for a place in the SMAT 2024 final, Madhya Pradesh initially faced early dismissal when Delhi's experienced bowler Ishant Sharma took the wicket of opener Arpit Gaud for a duck on the opening ball. Ishant followed up with the wicket of Subhranshu Senapati (7 off 8), leaving MP at 20/2 in the third over.
Harsh Gawli counterattacked with a quick 30 off 18 balls, to keep the chase going. Despite being dismissed by Himanshu Chauhan in the seventh over, Gawli's knock helped Madhya Pradesh establish a solid platform. With the score at 46/3 in the seventh over, Rajat Patidar joined Harpreet Singh in the middle, and they worked together to keep the desired run rate within reach.
Harpreet swept leg spinner Suyash Sharma for four in the eighth over, while Patidar hit his maiden six by pulling medium-pacer Himanshu Chauhan over square leg in the ninth. Patidar along with Harpreet, who scored 46 not out from 34 balls, help the team get past the target in just 15.4 overs, to book a place in the final of the tournament.
Madhya Pradesh skipper Rajat Patidar demonstrated his class and temperament by hitting four fours and six sixes in his 66* off 29, overwhelming the Delhi bowlers. He has been in brilliant form for Madhya Pradesh in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024, scoring 248 runs in five innings.
