Ayush Mhatre Shines with a Century as Mumbai and Maharashtra Secure Wins

Post by : Mara Rahim

In an impressive display of talent, Ayush Mhatre scored a stunning 110 off just 53 balls, propelling Mumbai to a convincing victory over Vidarbha. Mumbai successfully chased down the target of 193 runs with 13 balls remaining, achieving their win with seven wickets to spare. This match marked Mhatre's first T20 century, highlighted by eight fours and as many sixes.

Earlier that day, Mhatre was appointed as the India Under-19 captain for the upcoming Asia Cup, adding to the significance of his achievement. His innings laid a strong foundation for the team's chase, complemented by Suryakumar Yadav who scored 35 off 30 balls and Shivam Dube who hit 39 off 19 balls to seal the match. At just 18 years and 135 days old, Mhatre became the youngest player to score centuries in first-class, List-A, and T20 formats, surpassing Rohit Sharma's record, and is now the third-youngest to reach a men’s T20 century.

Dube also showcased his all-round ability by taking 3 wickets for 31 runs in four overs, accumulating four wickets in a total of seven overs across two matches.

On the other side, Prithvi Shaw led Maharashtra to their first victory in the tournament, scoring a brilliant 66 off 36 balls during his captaincy debut. Maharashtra chased and surpassed a target of 192 against Hyderabad with eight balls left to play, thanks to Arshin Kulkarni’s unbeaten 89 off 54 balls that anchored the chase.

In contrast, Kerala faced defeat against Railways, falling short by 32 runs while attempting to chase 150. Sanju Samson, who had earlier achieved a half-century in the opening match, could only muster 19 runs from 25 balls, and Rohan Kunnummal, who scored an unbeaten 121 previously, managed a mere 8 runs.

In another nail-biting encounter, Haryana triumphed over Punjab in a Super Over, after an exhilarating contest where Punjab set a target of 208 runs, aided by Anmolpreet Singh's rapid 81 off 37 balls. Yuzvendra Chahal was critical with the ball, snatching two quick wickets. Haryana only needed one run in the Super Over to win, securing the victory with a boundary on their first ball, highlighted by Nishant Sindhu's top score of 61 off 32 balls during regular play.

Venkatesh Iyer emerged as a standout player for Madhya Pradesh, scoring an unbeaten 55 off 34 balls, facilitating his team’s chase of 175 runs to comfortably defeat Bihar by 62 runs. Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi continues to make a name for himself despite underwhelming scores in two matches. Meanwhile, Baroda grapples with back-to-back defeats, with Jitesh Sharma only managing scores of 4 and 5 in consecutive games. Adil Ayub Tunda impressed for Puducherry, taking 4 wickets for just 30 runs.

The SMAT 2025 tournament is rapidly evolving into an exciting affair, with emerging talents like Mhatre, Suryavanshi, and Dube drawing significant attention from cricket enthusiasts and talent scouts alike.