Follow UsIshan Kishan finally made his presence felt in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025–26 action, as his blazing unbeaten century deliveries guided Jharkhand to a dominant eight-wicket win over Tripura.
At the Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground in Ahmedabad, Jharkhand were reduced to 32/2 inside the first 4.2 overs chasing 183. They found their saviour in skipper Kishan as he blasted an unbeaten 113* off just 50 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and eight sixes, to dust off Tripura’s 183-run total in just 17.3 overs.
Kishan’s knock was part of a 153-run third-wicket stand off 80 deliveries with Virat Singh (who remained 53* off 40 balls), turning the chase into a formality before the halfway mark
Though he started the tournament with modest returns, scoring 27 and 15 in his first two games, Kishan more than made up for it with this commanding century. That would definitely send a signal to the national selectors that he is still amongst the leading T20 batters in the country, despite not being in the scheme of things in the T20I team.
Samson Shines For Kerala, Easwaran’s Century Goes In Vain
Meanwhile, Kerala skipper Sanju Samson made a meal of a 121-run chase against Chhattisgarh as he scored 43 off just 15 deliveries opening the innings. His innings that included five sixes and two fours ensured Kerala didn't stumble chasing the low target. Rohan Kunnumal also blasted a 33 off just 17 deliveries, opening the innings with Samson, as Kerala chased the target down in just 10.4 overs.
Earlier, KM Asif (3/16) and Vignesh Puthur (who was making his SMAT debut and picked 2/29) helped restrict Chhattisgarh to 120.
Meanwhile, in another match, Abhimanyu Easwaran smashed a valiant 130* off 66 balls for Bengal against Punjab. His assault, featuring 13 fours and eight sixes, allowed Bengal to reach a total of 198/9, but it was never enough as they were chasing a mammoth 311 after Abhishek Sharma smashed 148 off just 52 deliveries.
Punjab bowlers Harpreet Brar (4/23), Nehal Wadhera (2/19) and Gurnoor Brar (2/40) did the bulk of the damage as Bengal lost by 112 runs.