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Rahane's quick runs and solid bowling led Mumbai to the SMAT final
Rahane's quick runs and solid bowling led Mumbai to the SMAT final
Ajinkya Rahane opened the batting and scored 98 with the help of 11 fours and five sixes.
Ajinkya Rahane continued his outstanding form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, shining in the semifinal against Baroda with a blazing 98 off 55 balls. His effort, combined with a strong performance by Mumbai's bowlers, helped the team storm into the final. Baroda managed 158/7 in their 20 overs, but Mumbai chased it down comfortably with 16 balls and six wickets in hand.
Rahane, now the tournament's leading run-scorer, played a stunning knock featuring 11 fours and 5 sixes, narrowly missing out on a century. Baroda's plan to bowl short to him backfired, as he easily cut and pulled their deliveries. He began his innings with a bang, hitting Lukman Meriwala – Baroda's star in the quarterfinals – for 4, 6, 4 in his first three balls and maintained his aggressive approach throughout.
Shreyas Iyer also batted aggressively, smashing 46 off 30 balls, as Mumbai raced to 61/1 in the powerplay. Rahane and Iyer put together a crucial partnership of 88 runs off 56 balls, effectively sealing the match. Iyer fell in the 13th over, but Rahane continued alongside Suryakumar Yadav before being dismissed just short of a century. Suryansh Shedge finished the chase in style with a six.
Baroda's innings lacked the firepower Mumbai displayed. Opener Shashwat Rawat (33 off 29) and Krunal Pandya (30 off 24), batting at No. 3, gave them a decent start, while the middle order chipped in with some contributions. However, Mumbai’s bowlers kept making breakthroughs, reducing Baroda to 89/5 by the 14th over. A late surge from Shivalik Sharma (36*) and Atit Sheth added 53 runs in the last five overs, but it wasn’t enough to set a competitive total.
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