Mumbai Clinches Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024

Mumbai showcased a stellar performance to defeat Madhya Pradesh by five wickets and claim the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. The final, highlighted Mumbai’s depth in batting and resilience under pressure. Despite a valiant effort by MP skipper Rajat Patidar, whose unbeaten 81 anchored his team’s innings, Mumbai successfully chased a challenging target of 175 in just 17.5 overs, showcasing their dominance in the T20 format. This win marks Mumbai’s second SMAT title, their first being in 2022.

Match Summary

• Madhya Pradesh scored 174/8 in 20 overs, with Rajat Patidar remaining unbeaten at 81.
• Mumbai chased the target with ease, scoring 180/5 in 17.5 overs.

Mumbai’s Batting Performance

• Suryakumar Yadav: Played a crucial knock of 48 runs off 35 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes).
• Ajinkya Rahane: Scored 37 off 30 balls, adding stability to the chase.
• Suryansh Shedge: Delivered a match-winning 36 not out off 15 balls, including three fours and three sixes.
• Atharva Ankolekar: Contributed 16 not out off six balls to finish the chase in style.

Key Bowling Contributions

• Shardul Thakur: Took 2 wickets for 41 runs, including a stunning dismissal of Rajat Patidar.
• Royston Dias: Economical with figures of 2/32 in his four overs.

Rajat Patidar’s Brilliance

• Scored an unbeaten 81 off 54 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes).
• Carried MP’s innings single-handedly as other batters failed to provide significant contributions.

Turning Point

• Suryakumar Yadav and Ajinkya Rahane’s partnership of 52 runs for the third wicket laid the foundation for Mumbai’s chase.
• The late fireworks by Suryansh Shedge and Atharva Ankolekar ensured a comfortable victory.

Historical Context

• This is Mumbai’s second SMAT title. 
• They previously won the trophy in 2022 under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy.
• Madhya Pradesh is still awaiting their maiden SMAT victory despite several strong performances in recent seasons.

SMAT 2024: Key Statistics

• Winning Captain: Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai).
• Losing Captain: Rajat Patidar (Madhya Pradesh).
• Venue: Final played in front of over 15,000 enthusiastic fans.

SMAT Winners Summary (2006-07 to 2024-25)

• 2006/07: Tamil Nadu defeated Punjab (Captain: Dinesh Karthik).
• 2009/10: Maharashtra overcame Hyderabad (Captain: Rohit Motwani).
• 2010/11: Bengal triumphed over Madhya Pradesh (Captain: Manoj Tiwary).
• 2011/12: Baroda bested Punjab (Captain: Pinal Shah).
• 2012/13 & 2014/15: Gujarat emerged victorious twice, defeating Punjab both times.
• 2015/16: Uttar Pradesh secured the title under Suresh Raina.
• 2018/19 & 2019/20: Karnataka dominated under Manish Pandey’s captaincy.
• 2020/21 to 2021/22: Tamil Nadu secured back-to-back titles under Dinesh Karthik and Vijay Shankar.
• 2022/23 & 2024/25: Mumbai claimed their first and second titles under Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer.

Notable Records

• Most Titles: Tamil Nadu (3 titles).
• Back-to-Back Winners: Tamil Nadu (2020-21 and 2021-22).