Madhya Pradesh stormed into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 final after 13 years with a comprehensive 7-wicket win over Delhi at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Skipper Rajat Patidar's explosive knock of 66* from 29 balls was the highlight of the match. Delhi batted first after winning the toss, but their innings never gained …
Rajat Patidar’s blistering fifty takes Madhya Pradesh to SMAT final after 13 years
Madhya Pradesh stormed into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 final after 13 years with a comprehensive 7-wicket win over Delhi at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Skipper Rajat Patidar’s explosive knock of 66* from 29 balls was the highlight of the match. Delhi batted first after winning the toss, but their innings never gained momentum. They posted a modest 146/5 in 20 overs. Although their openers gave a steady start, a middle-order collapse derailed their progress. MP’s bowlers, led by Venkatesh Iyer (2/12), executed their plans well. Iyer struck twice in the same over, removing Delhi captain Ayush Badoni and Himmat Singh.
Delhi lost 3 wickets for just 25 runs in the middle overs. Anuj Rawat (33* off 24) and Mayank Rawat (24) tried to rebuild the innings with a 43-run partnership. However, the runs came too slowly, and Delhi could not finish strongly. Suyash Sharma was expensive, conceding 45 runs in 3.4 overs, while Himanshu Chauhan took 1/47 from his 4 overs. Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma impressed with figures of 2/12 in his three overs, capping a decent season with 10 wickets in 7 matches.
Patidar’s Madhya Pradesh in final
Madhya Pradesh vs Mumbai in SMAT final
Chasing 147, MP lost early wickets and were reduced to 46/3 in 6.1 overs. However, captain Patidar took control of the game with a fearless approach. He raced to a 23-ball fifty and finished unbeaten on 66, smashing 4 fours and 6 sixes. His strike rate of 227.59 made the chase look easy.
Patidar found a reliable partner in Harpreet Singh Bhatia, who scored 46* off 38 balls. The duo added an unbeaten 106-run partnership for the fourth wicket, guiding MP to victory in just 15.4 overs.
This win marks a significant achievement for the MP, setting up a final clash against Mumbai. Patidar’s leadership and form have been key for MP throughout the tournament. He has scored 347 runs in 8 innings this season at an average of 49.57, including 4 fifties.
Delhi, despite good starts from their batters, failed to capitalise and missed out on a chance to set a bigger target. MP’s disciplined bowling and Patidar’s brilliance ensured their place in the final after a long wait.
