Ishan Kishan Leads Jharkhand to Historic First SMAT Title With Dominant Win

National, Dec 19, 2025: Jharkhand created history on Thursday, December 18, by winning their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. They defeated Haryana by 69 runs in the final at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Captain Ishan Kishan led from the front, scoring a brilliant century that helped Jharkhand register a dominant win in the title clash.

Batting first, Kishan, who is currently out of India’s squad in all three formats, stepped up when it mattered most and played an outstanding innings. Jharkhand suffered an early setback as Virat Singh was dismissed in the first over, but the team did not change its attacking approach and continued to put pressure on the opposition.

Kishan scored 101 runs off 49 balls at an impressive strike rate of 206.12, an innings that is likely to catch the attention of the selectors. Former India cricketers RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha were present in the stands, and after this match-winning knock in the SMAT final, Kishan could be in line for a return to the T20I setup. If not immediately, his comeback could come after the T20 World Cup.

Kumar Kushagra’s Key Contribution Strengthens Jharkhand

Batting at number three, Kumar Kushagra also played an important role for Jharkhand. The 21-year-old scored 81 runs off 38 balls, providing strong support to Ishan Kishan. Kolkata Knight Riders’ Anukul Roy added quick runs with an unbeaten 40 off 20 balls, while Mumbai Indians’ Robin Minz remained not out on 31 off 14 balls. Jharkhand posted a massive 262 runs in their allotted overs.

Haryana fought hard in their chase, but chasing 263 runs in a final was always going to be a difficult task. They tried to play aggressive cricket, which was required, but kept losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually suffered a heavy defeat.

With the ball, Sushant Mishra and Bal Krishna were the standout performers for Jharkhand, picking up three wickets each. Bikas Singh and Anukul Roy claimed two wickets each, as Jharkhand sealed a memorable victory in the SMAT final.

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