SMAT 2025-26: Pondicherry thumps Bengal; Haryana beats Baroda
For the first time in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season, Bengal fumbled with the bat and couldn’t even cross the 100-run mark, chasing the 178-run target set by Pondicherry at the Gymkhana Ground.
After being asked to bat first, Pondicherry lost its openers with just 34 runs on the board. Aman Khan and Jashwanth Shreeram’s 68-run partnership, off 44 balls, then steadied the ship and brought it back into the contest.
After Jashwanth fell, Aman turned on the afterburners, smashing 48 runs off just 17 balls, before Mohammed Shami ended his onslaught (74, 40 balls, 5×4, 7×6).
It was a very calculated batting effort from Pondicherry, with extra caution exercised against Shami and Akash Deep (54 runs in eight overs) and going after the lesser-experienced Mukesh Kumar and Writtick Bijoy Chatterjee (92 runs in eight overs).
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Bengal barely got going in the chase, with Jayant Yadav (4-0-28-4) and Sidak Singh (3-0-9-3) razing through the batting order. Karan Lal’s 23-ball 40 (7×4, 1×6) was the lone positive, with Bengal succumbing to an 81-run defeat.
Later, Baroda, sans Hardik Pandya, lost to Haryana by nine runs. Yashvardhan Dalal’s unbeaten 57 (44b, 6×4, 1×6) and his 91-run stand (off 66 balls) with Parth Vats helped Haryana set a 175-run target.
File – Haryana bowler Anshul Kamboj celebrates after dismissing Services batsman Nitin Tanwar during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match.
| Photo Credit:
KVS Giri
File – Haryana bowler Anshul Kamboj celebrates after dismissing Services batsman Nitin Tanwar during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match.
| Photo Credit:
KVS Giri
Baroda stumbled in the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. Anshul Kamboj was the chief architect, his four-wicket haul giving Haryana its fourth win of the tournament this year.
Mridul’s efforts in vain
At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Mridul Surroch’s all-round performance couldn’t help Himachal Pradesh get past Gujarat. His 48-ball 88 (8×4, 4×6) helped set a 194-run target.
Later, with the ball, he picked three wickets and also ran out Vishal Jayswal but ended up agonisingly on the losing side with Gujarat snatching a one-wicket victory, courtesy telling contributions with the bat from Urvil Patel, Aarya Desi and Saurav Chauhan.
THE SCORES
Pondicherry vs Bengal
Pondicherry 177/5 in 20 overs (Jashwanth Shreeram 45, Aman Khan 74, Mohammed Shami 3/43) bt Bengal 96 in 13.5 overs (Karan Lal 40, Jayant Yadav 4/28, Sidak Singh 3/9).
Himachal Pradesh vs Gujarat
Himachal Pradesh 193/8 in 20 overs (Innesh Mahajan 36, Mridul Surroch 88, Akash Vashisht 49) lost to Gujarat 194/9 in 20 overs (Urvil Patel 39, Aarya Desi 37, Saurav Chauhan 35, Mridul Surroch 3/45).
Haryana vs Baroda
Haryana 174/7 in 20 overs (Nishant Sindhu 28, Yashvardhan Dalal 57 n.o., Parth Vats 41) bt Baroda 166/7 in 20 overs (Atit Sheth 44, Jitesh Sharma 33, Anshul Kamboj 4/23).
Published on Dec 06, 2025