The fifth round of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025–26 produced one of the tournament’s biggest shocks on Thursday, as Kerala pulled off a memorable 15-run win over defending champion Mumbai. Sanju Samson’s side defended 179 with discipline and intensity, handing Mumbai’s much-praised batting lineup a late-innings collapse that proved decisive.
Kerala set the tone early with Samson leading from the front. His fluent 46 off 28 balls, filled with confident back-foot strokes, provided the momentum his side needed. Behind the stumps, Samson added to his influence with the stumping of Shivam Dube, while his astute captaincy tightened the screws on Mumbai during the chase.
Mumbai appeared in control when Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan added 80 runs for the second wicket, but once the partnership broke, the innings spiralled. The team lost quick wickets, and the pressure fell on Suryakumar Yadav to rescue the chase. Though he struck 32 off 25 with four boundaries, Suryakumar fell to K.M. Asif while attempting to accelerate, leaving Mumbai short of the target.
Across the groups, several individual performances lit up the day. In Group D, Delhi’s Ayush Badoni delivered a match-winning all-round show, first scoring a composed half-century and then snaring four wickets, guiding his team to a resounding win over Karnataka. Assam continued its strong run with a win over Vidarbha, though Riyan Parag’s struggles persisted as he managed just five runs.
For Baroda, Hardik Pandya produced one of his sharpest bowling efforts of the season. Bowling his full quota, he conceded only 16 runs and dismissed dangerous pinch-hitter Urvil Patel. Baroda rolled Gujarat out for 73, and Hardik later scored a brisk 10 off six as his side eased to an eight-wicket victory.
Punjab’s Abhishek Sharma delivered fireworks with both bat and ball. His blistering 34 off nine deliveries provided a roaring start, and his left-arm orthodox bowling tightened Punjab’s grip as he claimed three for 23. Punjab sealed the match by 54 runs after posting 192.
Elsewhere, Tamil Nadu continued to face top-order woes, with B. Sai Sudharsan scoring just five off seven deliveries, extending his lean run to 27 runs in four innings. Though the side was reduced to 26 for four, a strong fifth-wicket stand eventually revived the innings.
Bengal welcomed a return to vintage form from Mohammed Shami, who struck with the first ball and finished with four for 13 against Services. Abishek Porel’s brisk 56 off 29 sealed a seven-wicket win.
Rinku Singh also enjoyed a productive outing, smashing 24 off 10 balls to help Uttar Pradesh post 212 against Chandigarh, with Madhav Kaushik top-scoring with 70. UP claimed victory by 40 runs.
Round 5 proved action-packed and unpredictable, reinforcing why SMAT remains one of India’s most thrilling domestic competitions.
