Mumbai put down a fighting Madhya Pradesh by five wickets to emerge as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champion at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.
The tournament final, witnessed by a sizeable and enthusiastic crowd, saw Mumbai chase down a challenging 175-run target. Opener and form batter Ajinkya Rahane (37, 30b, 4×4) laid the platform for Suryakumar Yadav to show his might. There were scoops and swivel pulls aplenty as Suryakumar (48, 35b, 4×4, 3×6) got into the groove.
Mumbai was in a spot of bother when Suryakumar fell against the run of play. With Mumbai on 129 for five, Madhya Pradesh sniffed a chance. But Suryansh Shegde (36 n.o., 15b, 3×4, 3×6) and Atharva Ankolekar (16 n.o., 6b, 2×6) proved up to the task with a blistering unbeaten 19-ball 51 sixth-wicket stand.
The young Shedge added to his growing reputation as an ace finisher with another fearless knock.
Mumbai claimed a second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, after its maiden win in 2022-23.
The first half of the match was dominated by Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar, who made a stunning unbeaten 40-ball 81. Patidar single-handedly got MP to a competitive score, even as the other batters struggled with the spongy bounce.
A couple of sixes – a checked front-foot drive and a dancing hook – received thunderous applause. The 31-year-old was let down by his teammates, who could not give him reliable company.
Harpreet Singh, in at four, handed the momentum to Mumbai with a snail-paced 23-ball 15.
The scores:
MP 174/8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 81 n.o.) lost to Mumbai 180/5 in 17.5 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 48, Suryansh Shedge 36 n.o., Ajinkya Rahane 37). Toss: Mumbai, PoM: Suryansh Shedge, PoS: Ajinkya Rahane