Ayush Mhatre's explosive century propelled Mumbai to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter showcased his talent with an unbeaten 110 off 53 balls, leading Mumbai to chase down Vidarbha's challenging target of 193 with 13 balls to spare.
Vidarbha's innings saw a strong opening partnership of 115 runs between Atharva Taide and Aman Mokhade. Taide scored 64 runs off 36 balls, including nine boundaries and one six, while Mokhade contributed 61 runs off 30 balls, hitting seven boundaries and two sixes. However, after their departure, the rest of the batting lineup struggled to maintain the momentum. Shivam Dube and Sairaj Patil spearheaded Mumbai's bowling attack, each claiming three wickets, while Atharva Ankolekar took two wickets, restricting Vidarbha to 192/9.
Mumbai's chase began poorly, with Ajinkya Rahane dismissed for a duck and Hardik Tamore for 1 run. Mhatre then steadied the innings, first with Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed a valuable 35 off 30 balls. The pair added a crucial 88-run stand for the third wicket. Following Yadav's dismissal, Shivam Dube joined Mhatre and provided aggressive support, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 19 balls. Their unbroken 85-run partnership sealed the victory for Mumbai.
Mhatre's century was a masterclass in T20 batting, comprising eight fours and eight sixes, achieving a strike rate of 207.55. This was Mhatre's maiden T20 century. His remarkable performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The 18-year-old's achievement also broke a long-standing record held by Rohit Sharma, as Mhatre became the youngest player to score centuries in T20s, first-class cricket, and List A cricket. Mhatre also became the third-youngest player to score a century in men's T20 cricket, only behind Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Vijay Zol. Adding to the significance of the day, Mhatre was also appointed captain of the India Under-19 side for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Mumbai, the defending champions of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, now have two victories from two matches in the tournament. This win against Vidarbha was their second in a row, having previously defeated Railways.
Other matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy saw Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra register wins. The tournament, featuring 38 teams divided into Elite and Plate groups, is scheduled from November 26 to December 18.
