Ishan Kishan produced a blistering century to lead Jharkhand to its first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, defeating Haryana by 69 runs in the 2025 final at MCA Stadium, Pune.
Kishan smashed 101 off 49 balls, showcasing his aggressive intent and guiding Jharkhand to a record total of 262/3 in 20 overs.
Despite losing opener Virat Singh early, Kishan dominated the Haryana attack and stitched a 177-run stand with Kumar Kushagra, who hammered 81 off 38 balls. Their partnership set the tone as Jharkhand piled on runs with ease. Kishan’s knock included audacious strokes, including a one-handed six over cover, making him only the second batter after Anmolpreet Singh to score a century in an SMAT final.
Anukul Roy, later named Player of the Series, and Robin Minz added an unbeaten 75-run stand to push Jharkhand past the 260 mark, the highest-ever total in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final.
Chasing the mammoth target, Haryana faltered early. Ankit Kumar fell for a duck, followed by Ashish Siwach, leaving the side reeling. Though Nishant Sindhu and Yashvardhan Dalal added 67 runs for the fourth wicket, Roy’s double strike ended Haryana’s resistance. The team folded for 193 in 18.3 overs, handing Jharkhand a historic victory.
Kishan, who amassed 517 runs in the tournament, celebrated emotionally with teammates and former cricketers Saurabh Tiwary and Shahbaz Nadeem, now administrators at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association. The triumph ended Jharkhand’s long wait for a domestic T20 crown and served as a reminder to national selectors ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup squad announcement.
Scores: Jharkhand 262/3 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 101, Kumar Kushagra 81) beat Haryana 193 in 18.3 overs (Yashvardhan Dalal 53, Samant Jakhar 38, Sushant Mishra 3/27).
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