All-Round Punjab Edge MP in High-Scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Clash

Punjab snapped a two-match losing streak with a thrilling two-wicket victory over Madhya Pradesh in the Super League stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, chasing down a formidable target in a high-scoring encounter at the DY Patil Academy ground in Pune.

Chasing 226, Punjab rode on half-centuries from Harnoor Singh and Salil Arora, before a composed late assault from Ramandeep Singh, who remained unbeaten on 35 off 21 balls, guided the side home with five balls to spare.

Punjab’s chase got off to a shaky start with captain Prabhsimran Singh falling in the second over. However, Anmolpreet Singh and Harnoor counter-attacked to wrest back momentum. The duo brought up a rapid 50-run stand in just 18 balls, before Anmolpreet was dismissed for a 14-ball 38 by Mangesh Yadav.

Harnoor continued to dominate the bowling, smashing 64 off 36 deliveries, including five fours and three sixes. He later shared a crucial 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Arora, who reached his half-century in just 29 balls. When Arora fell in the 16th over, Punjab still required 45 runs from the final five overs.

A brief collapse followed as four wickets fell for 20 runs, threatening to derail the chase. However, Ramandeep Singh kept his composure under pressure to seal the win for Punjab.

The successful chase marked the seventh time Punjab crossed the 200-run mark in the tournament this season — the most by any team in a single edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. No other side has managed more than four such totals, with Jharkhand also on four in 2025–26.

Earlier, Venkatesh Iyer led the scoring for Madhya Pradesh with a well-made 70 off 43 balls. Useful contributions from Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Aniket Verma and Mangesh Yadav helped MP post an imposing 225 for 8, but the total proved just short. For Punjab, Gurnoor Brar stood out with the ball, returning figures of 3 for 45 in a high-scoring contest.