SMAT: Yash Dhull emerges as top run-scorer, veteran Siddharth Kaul at top of bowling charts
Top-class performances from star player Sarfaraz Khan and Tanush Kotian helped Mumbai clinch their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title after defeating Himachal Pradesh in the final by three wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 5 (ANI): India’s under-19 World Cup winning captain Yash Dhull emerged as the leading run-scorer while Punjab veteran Siddharth Kaul was the leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which concluded on Saturday.
In eight innings across eight matches, Dhull scored 363 runs at an average of 72.60 for Delhi. Three half-centuries came out of his bat, with his best score being 73.
Other batting stars of the tournament include Mumbai’s Prithvi Shaw (332 runs in 10 innings at 36.88 average with one ton and fifty each), Punjab’s Prabhsimran Singh (320 runs in 9 innings at an average of 53.33 with four fifties), Delhi’s Nitish Rana (317 in eight innings at an average of 45.28 and one century, one fifty each) and SB Vyas from Saurashtra (314 runs in seven innings at an average of 52.33 with two fifties).
Major Indian stars like Shubman Gill (260 runs in six matches), Cheteshwar Pujara (200 runs in seven matches) and Shreyas Iyer (173 runs in six matches) also did solid with the bat whenever the opportunity rose.
In the bowling charts, it was Punjab’s Siddarth Kaul leading the statistics. He ended with 19 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 13.10 and an economy rate of 6.72. His best bowling figures in the tournament were 5/12.
He is followed by- V Kaverappa of Karnataka (18 wickets), Mumbai medium-pacer Tushar Deshpande (17 wickets), Mumbai all-rounder Shams Mulani (16 wickets), medium-pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak from Karnataka (15 wickets).
Coming to the final, top-class performances from star player Sarfaraz Khan and Tanush Kotian helped Mumbai clinch their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title after defeating Himachal Pradesh in the final by three wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday.
Put to bat first by Mumbai, Himachal Pradesh had posted 143/8 in their 20 overs.
Spinner Tanush Kotian and pacer Mohit Avasthi had delivered a cocktail of pace and spin that left Himachal bamboozled in a sorry position at 58/6 in 9.4 overs. Then it was Akash Vasisht (25) and Ekant Sen (37), who put up a 60-run stand to help their side reach triple figures.
With a cameo by Mayank Dagar (21*) at the end in just 12 balls, Himachal had posted 143/8 in their 20 overs.
Kotian (3/15) and Avasthi (3/21) destroyed Himachal with their lethal spells. Aman Hakim Khan and Shivam Dube also took a wicket.
Chasing 144, veteran all-rounder Rishi Dhawan delivered two jolts to Mumbai, sending back openers Prithvi Shaw (11) and skipper Ajinkya Rahane (1). Mumbai was reduced to 28/2. At the end of the powerplay in six overs, Mumbai was at 43/2, with Shreyas Iyer (9*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (15*) unbeaten at the crease.
Mayank Dagar put an end to this 41-run stand between Jaiswal and Iyer by dismissing the former for 27 runs.
Medium pacer Vaibhav Arora strengthened Himachal’s control over Mumbai by sending back Iyer (34), Shivam Dube (7) and Aman Hakim Khan (6). Mumbai sunk to 116/6 in 16.5 overs, still needing 28 runs in 19 balls. All-rounder Shams Mulani (2) became Dagar’s second victim.
Sarfaraz played a vital knock of 36*, finishing the match on winning note for Mumbai with Tanush Kotian (9*) at the other end.
Kotian was adjudged as ‘Man of the Match’ for his spell.
Brief Scores: Himachal Pradesh; 143/8 (Ekant Sen 37, Akash Vasisht 25, Kotian 3/15) lost to Mumbai: 146/7 in 19.3 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 36*, Shreyas Iyer 34, Vaibhav Arora 3/27). (ANI)
