SMAT | Swashbuckling Rajkumar swings it Tamil Nadu’s way against Uttarakhand

R. Rajkumar’s unbeaten 93 off just 43 balls (6×4, 8×6) — embellished with eight sixes, the most by any Tamil Nadu batter in a single innings — hauled his team to a five-wicket win over Uttarakhand, chasing 165 in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group-D third-round clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium B-Ground here on Sunday.

The 32-year-old, playing only his third T20 match in his debut season for Tamil Nadu, wasn’t merely promoted to No. 5 — he was unleashed. He delivered exactly what the move demanded, pinch-hitting pacers and spinners with equal audacity.

Tamil Nadu’s Rajkumar in action during The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cricket match against Uttarakhand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

His swing didn’t just generate runs — it generated disbelief. He didn’t just time the ball — he dismissed it from the field of play. And he wasn’t just batting — he was almost auditioning, with Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel and Mumbai Indians talent scout John Wright watching on.

He dismantled the bowling with a catalogue of clean hits: two straight fours, an extra-cover six, and a cover-drive four in the same over off leg-spinner Himanshu Bisht; a six over cover, a reverse-hit four, and a straight six off left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith.

Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan in action during The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cricket match against Tripura at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

Against left-arm spinner Yuvraj Choudhary, he cleared the sightscreen and extra-cover for two more sixes. He wasn’t done — he hammered back-to-back long-off sixes and a straight four off pacer Akash Madhwal, and added another straight six off pacer Agnivesh Ayachi.

Earlier in the day, Jharkhand skipper Ishan Kishan smashed an unbeaten 113 (10×4, 8×6) off 50 balls to help his side chase down 183 against Tripura with eight wickets and 15 balls to spare. Off-spinner Viki Saha bore the maximum brunt: Ishan struck a mid-wicket six, a mid-wicket four, and an extra-cover four in one over, before smoking back-to-back mid-wicket sixes.

Rajasthan edged home by a solitary run in a thriller. Karnataka, chasing 202, needed 14 off the last five balls when Vijaykumar Vyshak (9 n.o.) pulled left-arm seamer Akash Singh to deep square leg for a six. With seven required off three, R. Smaran (48 n.o.) picked up two successive doubles. But Akash Singh nailed a wide yorker on the final ball, and Smaran’s inside-edge could only trickle away for a single.