Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Hat-Trick in Vain as Madhya Pradesh Beat Andhra in SMAT Super League Opener

A stunning hat-trick from Nitish Kumar Reddy gave Andhra early hope, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a four-wicket defeat to Madhya Pradesh in their Super League opener of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Reddy’s triple strike reduced MP to 14 for 3 within three overs while chasing a modest target of 113. The pressure intensified when Venkatesh Iyer fell soon after, leaving MP wobbling at 37 for 4 in the seventh over.

Chouhan–Batham stand seals MP’s victory

However, Rishabh Chouhan and Rahul Batham rebuilt calmly, stitching together a crucial 73-run fifth-wicket partnership that took the game away from Andhra. Chouhan scored a composed 47 off 43 balls with six fours, while Batham remained unbeaten on 35 off 32, guiding MP home with four wickets and 15 balls to spare.

The victory earned MP four points to start their Super League campaign on a strong note.

Andhra collapse after promising start

Earlier, Andhra—put in to bat—slumped to 7 for 2 after right-arm seamer Tripuresh Singh struck twice in the first over, dismissing Ashwin Hebbar and Shaik Rasheed for ducks. Reddy then combined with KS Bharat for a 50-run third-wicket stand to steady the innings.

But once Iyer removed Bharat for 39 through a return catch, Andhra’s innings fell apart. They lost 8 for 55, collapsing from 57 for 2 to 112 all out. Shivam Shukla delivered the decisive blow with 4 for 23, including the wicket of Reddy for 23, while Tripuresh finished with 3 for 31. Batham chipped in with two wickets as four Andhra batters failed to score.

What’s next

Andhra will look to regroup when they face Punjab next, while Madhya Pradesh take on Jharkhand. Both matches will be played on December 14.