SMAT 2025-26 Group A: Rahane shines as Mumbai opens title defence with resounding win

Ajinkya Rahane (62, 33b, 4×4, 5×6) toyed with the Railways bowling line-up as a star-studded Mumbai team cruised to a seven-wicket win to get its Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title defence off to a resounding start at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.

Usually a purist’s delight, Rahane seamlessly switched into a marauding avatar, plundering four sixes early into Mumbai’s 159-run chase.

Though he dominated the leg side with effortless pull and pick-up shots, his six over long-off after stepping out to the lanky pacer Atal Bihari Rai stood out.

The former Mumbai skipper showcased his range against spin, stepping out to smash Railways captain Karn Sharma for a six over deep midwicket, and then cutting behind point for a four. However, against the run of play, he was hit wicket in the same over trying to paddle sweep, with his back leg disturbing the stumps in the process.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav (47, 30b, 5×4, 2×6) ensured there were no further hiccups before Shivam Dube imparted the finishing touch with a drive to the long-off boundary.

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Earlier, the big-hitting prowess of Indian Premier League (IPL) star Ashutosh Sharma brought Railways back on track.

Ashutosh’s 61-run blitz included 36 runs that came off left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar’s bowling. Armed with a strong bottom hand, Ashutosh laid into Ankolekar’s long hops with fierce pulls and stepped out to loft him over cover for three fours and as many sixes.

During his 25-ball half-century, Ashutosh stood deep in his crease, which helped him access the leg-side with flat-batted shots. He smashed two fours in the final over, a pull and then a heave on the leg side, which propelled Railways to a serviceable 158 for five.

The left-handed Mohammad Saif was the perfect foil to Ashutosh’s aggression during their 49-run alliance for the fourth wicket. The true bounce of the red-soil pitch also ensured Saif got full value for his pulls and pick-ups, before he uppercut straight to deep third two runs short of his fifty.

Without Ashutosh and Saif, Railways would have reached nowhere. Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande bowled two consecutive maiden overs to reduce the opposition to three for one in three overs. With the ball seaming off the surface and moving through the air, Shardul and Deshpande maintained a tight Test-match line outside off-stump to cramp the batters early on and ensure Railways was always playing catch-up.

It was another demolition job at the adjacent Ekana Cricket Stadium B as Kerala munched Odisha’s 177-run target, thanks to Sanju Samson and Rohan Kunnummal’s unbroken opening alliance.

Assuming the role of the aggressor, Kunnummal scorched Odisha’s hapless attack to reach his second T20 ton, which included 10 fours and as many sixes. His senior India partner, Samson, didn’t mind playing second fiddle and keeping the ball along the ground to rotate strike.

However, Samson had the last say as his first six, a hoick over deep midwicket, brought up his 41-ball half-century and sealed Kerala’s 10-wicket win.

Published on Nov 26, 2025