Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Tripura Stuns Delhi, Padikkal Shines for Karnataka
In a surprising turn of events in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Delhi suffered a shocking 12-run defeat against Tripura. Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal's explosive century propelled Karnataka to a dominant victory over Tamil Nadu.
Tripura vs. Delhi
Delhi's struggles in domestic cricket continued as they were stunned by Tripura. This loss marks the first time Tripura has defeated Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The Delhi team, boasting IPL stars such as Nitish Rana, Priyansh Arya, Ayush Badoni, and Digvesh Rathi, failed to chase down a target of 158 runs.
Tripura opted to bat first, posting 157 for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Contributions came from several batsmen, with six of their top seven scoring above 18 runs, though none surpassed 30. For Delhi, Suyash Sharma impressed with figures of 2/16, while Rathi also took two wickets.
In response, Delhi's batting lineup struggled to gain momentum. Priyansh Arya scored only eight runs, and Yash Dhull's innings of 25 appeared unconvincing. Nitish Rana fought hard, but his efforts were ultimately in vain. Delhi needed a significant partnership to turn the tide, but they lost wickets at regular intervals. Rana was eventually dismissed in the 17th over, having scored 45 off 40 balls. Manisankar Murasingh and Saruk Hossain's effective bowling put Delhi under pressure early in their chase. Murasingh also led Tripura's charge with a notable all-round performance, scoring 25* off 18 balls and taking 2/19 with 14 dot balls. Ultimately, Delhi finished at 145/8, handing Tripura a memorable victory.
Karnataka vs. Tamil Nadu
In contrast to Delhi's struggles, Karnataka secured a massive 145-run victory against Tamil Nadu, thanks to a remarkable century by Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal's blistering knock of 102 runs off just 46 balls, including 10 fours and 6 sixes, propelled Karnataka to a formidable total of 245/3.
Tamil Nadu, after choosing to field, found themselves under pressure from the start as Padikkal launched an aggressive assault. He set the tone by hitting a six off the very first ball he faced. B.R. Sharath (53) and R Smaran (46*) offered valuable support. In their chase, Tamil Nadu were bundled out for just 100 runs. Six of their batsmen were dismissed for single-digit scores, and captain Varun Chakravarthy was out for a golden duck. Shreyas Gopal and Pravin Dubey each took three wickets, while Vijaykumar Vyshak and Shubhang Hegde claimed two each.
