Bengaluru, Dec 15 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh skipper Rajat Patidar produced a scintillating 81 off 40 balls to guide his team to a competitive 174/8 in Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2024 at M Chinaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.
Patidar’s innings, laced with 6 fours and as many sixes, provided much-needed impetus after a shaky start against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack led by Shardul Thakur.
After opting to bowl, Mumbai struck early, reducing Madhya Pradesh to 6/2 within the second over. Harpreet Bhatia struggled to anchor the innings, scoring 15 off 23 balls, which slowed the scoring rate further. The turning point came when Patidar, in partnership with Rahul Batham (9 off 14), steadied the innings with a crucial 56-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Thakur 2/41 and Royston Dias 2/32) were Mumbai’s key bowlers, but Patidar’s counter-attack in the death overs, including a no-look hook and a six over the sightscreen off Thakur’s bowling, took MP past the 170-mark.
The match saw its share of drama with controversial umpiring decisions. A no-ball call in the 19th over was overturned after review, sparking a spirited discussion between Patidar and the officials. Another contentious moment came when Venkatesh Iyer (17 off 9) was dismissed after a debated low catch by Ajinkya Rahane.
For Mumbai, chasing 176 will test their star-studded lineup, which includes Suryakumar adav, Rahane and Shivam Dube. With a strong pitch aiding strokeplay, the target is well within reach, but MP’s bowlers, led by Kumar Kartikeya, will look to defend the total.
