Captain Kishan’s Fiery Ton Secures Jharkhand’s Historic SMAT 2025 Victory

In a spectacular display during the tournament finale, Ishan Kishan showcased his exceptional form, delivering his most remarkable performance with a scintillating 101 off 49 balls. Leading Jharkhand to its first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy victory, they triumphed over Haryana with a convincing 69-run win.

The match at MCA Stadium was a treat for the numerous fans in attendance, as Ishan unleashed an aggressive batting style, dominating the Haryana bowlers. Despite the early departure of opener Virat Singh, Ishan ensured Jharkhand maintained control. Utilizing the flat pitch effectively, he dismantled the Haryana bowling attack from the outset, crafting a formidable 177-run partnership with the promising Kumar Kushagra (81 from 38 balls, hitting 8 boundaries and 5 sixes) as Jharkhand amassed 262 for three.

Focusing on maximizing the Powerplay, Ishan and Kushagra focused on big hits, contributing to a solid 69 runs in the initial overs. With national selectors observing, Ishan intensified the assault with successive sixes off Parth Vats, then targeted Anshul Kamboj, securing boundaries and a breathtaking one-handed six over cover in the 14th over, becoming only the second player to hit a century in an SMAT final, after Anmolpreet Singh.

Though Sumit Kumar toppled Ishan with a yorker in the following over and Kushagra soon followed, Jharkhand was already close to the 200-run threshold. Despite Haryana’s fielders missing some catches, Anukul Roy — named Player of the Series — and Robin Minz contributed an unbeaten 75-run partnership, pushing Jharkhand to a record-breaking final total for the tournament.

For additional insights: Full list of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy winners after Jharkhand’s SMAT 2025 triumph

Chasing a daunting target, Haryana struggled from the start. Ankit Kumar, who had been in excellent form, fell for a duck to seamer Vikash Singh, followed by Ashish Siwach’s dismissal without scoring. Haryana’s innings unraveled with regular fall of wickets. While Nishant Sindhu and Yashvardhan Dalal added 67 for the fourth wicket, Anukul’s two crucial dismissals ended Haryana’s resistance.

The day belonged to Ishan Kishan. Out of the national team since 2023, the wicketkeeper-batsman, having scored 517 runs in the tournament, was visibly emotional celebrating the landmark victory with his teammates. In a moment of shared pride, Saurabh Tiwary and Shahbaz Nadeem, former cricketers now with the Jharkhand State Cricket Association, joined in. After years of near misses, Jharkhand finally claimed the title, with Ishan sending a strong message to the national selectors ahead of India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement.

Score summary:
Jharkhand posted 262/3 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 101, Kumar Kushagra 81)
defeated Haryana 193 in 18.3 overs (Yashvardhan Dalal 53, Samant Jakhar 38, Sushant Mishra 3/27).

Published on Dec 18, 2025