SMAT 2025-26 Group D: Sai Kishore rescues Tamil Nadu against Tripura; Badoni shines as Delhi beats Karnataka

Sai Kishore’s maiden T20 fifty (87 n.o., 39b, 3×4, 8×6) and captain N. Jagadeesan’s 49-ball 83 (6×4, 4×6) helped Tamil Nadu post 204 for five and secure a 61-run win against Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group-D fifth-round match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

After Tamil Nadu was reduced to 26 for four in the sixth over, the pair added 119 off 67 for fifth wicket. Sai Kishore hit three sixes off pacer Indrajit Debnath in the final over – over deep backward square leg, long-on, and deep extra-cover. Jagadeesan went 6-4-6-4 against off-spinner Viki Saha — down the track over long-on, through cover, slog-swept to deep midwicket, and swept to deep backward square-leg.

Badoni powers Delhi to win over Karnataka

Powered by Priyansh Arya (62, 33b, 2×4, 6×6), Ayush Badoni (53, 35b, 4×4, 2×6), Nitish Rana (46 n.o., 28b, 2×4, 4×6), and Tejasvi Dahiya (53 n.o., 19b, 3×4, 5×6), Delhi piled on 232 for three and beat Karnataka by 45 runs. Priyansh hit all his sixes in the ‘V’ down the ground, four of them coming off leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal.

Priyansh and Badoni added 110 off 56 in their second-wicket stand, while Nitish and Tejasvi added 105 off 41 through the unbroken fourth-wicket union.

Despite valiant efforts from Devdutt Padikkal (62, 38b, 8×4, 2×6) and R. Smaran (72, 38b, 3×4, 6×6), the ask was always one step ahead for Karnataka. Badoni returned a career-best four for 12 with his off-spin. He picked up three wickets in the 19th over, as Karnataka’s batters — out of options by the end — could only slog. Smaran edged his attempted heave to short third man, while Pravin Dubey and Shreyas Gopal holed out in the deep.

Rajasthan continues unbeaten run

After claiming two for 22, Rajasthan pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti turned finisher against Saurashtra. Chasing a modest 146, he remained unbeaten on 37 (32b, 1×4, 3×6) as Rajasthan got home by two wickets. With 17 needed off the last over, he sliced the first ball (after a wide) over deep point for a six off leg-spinner Yuvraj Chudasama, and with 6 needed off 2, he clobbered the winning six just over the deep extra-cover fielder.

Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma followed up his four for 16 versus Uttarakhand with an all-round effort: four for 20, and an unbeaten 15 off 7. With 29 needed, he struck two crucial blows — a straight and a long-on six — off medium-pacer Prerak Mankad in the 19th over. Ashok, who won the Player-of-the-Match award, is now this edition’s leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets from five matches.