"Mohammed Shami Struggles in SMAT Quarterfinals, Rs 23 Crore Venkatesh Iyer Leads MP to Victory"

 

Venkatesh Iyer put in a star all-round performance, while Mohammed Shami underwhelmed amid talks of heading to Australia. 

Shami's Off Day Costs Bengal as Baroda March into SMAT Semis; Venkatesh Iyer Stars for MP

Pacer Mohammed Shami endured a rare off day, failing to make an impact with the ball as Bengal suffered a 41-run defeat against Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarterfinals on Wednesday. Shami's struggles were compounded by a clinical bowling display from Baroda, led by Hardik Pandya (3/27), Lukeman Merriwala (3/17), and Atit Sheth (3/41), as Bengal were bowled out for just 131 in their chase of 172.

Baroda, batting first, posted a competitive total of 171/7 in their 20 overs, thanks to a 26-ball 40 from opener Shashwat Rawat (1x4, 3x6) and a solid contribution of 37 from Abhimanyu Rajput. Bengal's bowlers, including Shami, were unable to stem the flow of runs, with the veteran pacer finishing with 2/43.

Shami, who has been in the spotlight recently as he hopes for a spot in the Indian squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, struggled to find his rhythm throughout the match. He started his spell with two wides in the opening over and never really settled into his usual groove. Despite clocking deliveries in the 140 km/h range, Shami lacked his usual precision, often missing the stumps. He was even clobbered for two sixes by Baroda's Shivalik Sharma, one of which was an edged shot that flew over the third man.

Shami did manage to pick up two wickets in the final overs, dismissing Shivalik and Atit Sheth as Baroda attempted to accelerate. However, his efforts with the bat were equally disappointing, as he was dismissed for a duck by his India teammate Hardik Pandya.

In their chase of 172, Bengal never got going. Merriwala's early breakthroughs – removing in-form Karan Lal, captain Sudip Kumar Gharami, and Writtick Chatterjee – crippled their response. Shahbaz Ahmed fought back with a determined 55 off 36 balls (3x4, 4x6), but with little support from the other end, Bengal fell short, ending their innings at 131 all out.

Venkatesh Iyer Powers Madhya Pradesh into Semis

In the other quarterfinal, Madhya Pradesh cruised into the semifinals, thanks to an all-round performance from Venkatesh Iyer. Iyer, who contributed with both bat and ball, helped MP chase down Saurashtra's total of 173/7 with four balls to spare. Iyer picked up 2/23 with the ball and then guided his side home with an unbeaten 38 off 33 balls, as MP reached 174/4.

Delhi Defeat Uttar Pradesh in Thrilling Quarterfinal

Delhi also secured their place in the semifinals with a thrilling 19-run win over Uttar Pradesh at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Anuj Rawat played a brilliant knock of 73* off 33 balls (7x4, 5x6), guiding Delhi to a strong total of 193/3. Uttar Pradesh's chase faltered despite a valiant 54 from Priyam Garg, as they were restricted to 174 all out.

There was a brief altercation on the field between Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni and UP all-rounder Nitish Rana, after the former pulled away from strike a couple of times. The on-field umpires had to intervene to separate the two players.

Delhi will now face Madhya Pradesh in the semifinals on Friday.

Brief Scores:

• Baroda: 171/7 in 20 overs (Shashwat Rawat 40, Abhimanyu Rajput 37, Shivalik Sharma 24; Mohammed Shami 2/43, Pradipta Pramanik 2/6)
  Beat Bengal: 131 all out in 18 overs (Shahbaz Ahmed 55, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury 29; Lukeman Merriwala 3/17, Hardik Pandya 3/27, Atit Sheth 3/41) by 41 runs.

• Delhi: 193/3 in 20 overs (Anuj Rawat 73*, Priyansh Arora 44, Yash Dhull 42)
  Beat Uttar Pradesh: 174 all out in 20 overs (Priyam Garg 54, Sameer Rizvi 26; Ayush Badoni 2/37, Prince Yadav 2/27) by 19 runs.

• Saurashtra: 173/7 in 20 overs (Chirag Jani 80*; Venkatesh Iyer 2/23)
  Lost to Madhya Pradesh: 174/4 in 19.4 overs (Arpit Gaud 42, Venkatesh Iyer 38*, Rajat Patidar 28) by 6 wickets.