Ajinkya Rahane continued his blistering red-hot form in T20 cricket with another big fifty to guide Mumbai to the semi-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 on Wednesday. The veteran batter smashed 84 runs as Mumbai chased down a 222-run target against Vidarbha in the third quarter-final game in Alur.
Shreyas Iyer-led Mumbai will be facing in-form Baroda in the mouth-watering semi-final game. Baroda recorded a dominant 41-run win over Bengal in the first quarter-final with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya shining with a ball.
Hardik and his elder brother Krunal Pandya struggled for the runs but in-form opener Shaswat Rawat's 40 off 26 took Baroda to a fighting total of 172 while batting first. Shahbaz Ahmed kept Bengal alive in the chase with another fifty but Lukman Meriwala, Hardik Pandya and Atit Seth picked three wickets each to ensure a big 41-run win for the last edition's runners-up Baroda.
In the second semi-final, Madhya Pradesh will be facing Delhi at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on December 13. Venkatesh Iyer made an impact with both bat and ball to help Madhya Pradesh chase down a 174-run target with 6 wickets and 4 balls remaining.
Delhi ended Uttar Pradesh's run with a 19-run win while defending 193 runs and secured the semi-final berth for the second consecutive season. The young wicketkeeper batter Anuj Rawat smashed 73* off just 33 balls to help Delhi post a big total of 193 while batting first and then the rising pacer Prince Yadav claimed 3 wickets bowling out Bhuvnewshwar Kumar-led Uttar Pradesh to 174.
SMAT 2024-25 fixtures
1st semi-final - Mumbai vs Baroda, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on December 13 (11:00 AM IST)
2nd semi-final - Madhya Pradesh vs Delhi, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on December 13 (4:30 PM IST)
Final - M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on December 15 (4:30 PM IST)
