Mohammed Siraj picked up three wickets and was named the Player of the Match as Hyderabad defeated Mumbai in Pune. They currently top Group B. Jharkhand, who top Group A, picked up a thrilling win over Punjab in the ongoing SMAT.
Out of India’s white-ball squad, Mohammed Siraj is desperate to prove his mettle and earn his status back as an all-format player. In the clash against Mumbai at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the 31-year-old rose to the occasion and bowled beautifully, clinching three wickets in 3.5 overs, conceding just 17 runs. Notably, Mumbai have a power-packed team, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ajinkya Rahane opening the innings. Siraj realised that in the first over itself, leaking nine runs.
Nevertheless, he managed to script a sensational comeback, conceding just eight runs in the remainder of his spell. He dismissed Suryansh Shedge, Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian, as Mumbai posted only 131 runs in the first innings. Apart from Siraj’s three-wicket spell, Chama Milind and Tanay Thyagarajan were impressive, claiming two wickets each.
Hyderabad win by nine wickets
Hyderabad openers Aman Rao and Tanay Agarwal had a fantastic night with the bat, stitching a partnership of 127 runs. Tanay played a blistering knock of 75 runs in 40 balls, while Aman remained unbeaten for 52 runs off 20 balls. Courtesy of their incredible power-hitting, Hyderabad comfortably won the match by nine wickets at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Following the win, Hyderabad have improved their Net Run Rate in Group B of the Super League. They currently top the table after round 1. Haryana, who defeated Rajasthan, stand below Hyderabad in the points table.
In Group A, Jharkhand tops the table after a thrilling win over Punjab. Batting first, the Prabhsimran Singh-led side posted 235 runs on the board, following a blitzkreig from Salil Arora. He smacked an unbeaten 125 runs off 45 balls but that wasn’t enough, as Jharkhand picked up a memorable win in Pune. Kumar Kushagra’s 86 from 42 proved enough for the ishan Kishan-led side to register a six-wicket win.