T20's number one batsman Abhishek Sharma aggressively batted on Sunday to defeat Bengal. The left-handed batsman played an explosive innings of 148 runs in just 58 balls, including 16 sixes.
Sports News: Sunday witnessed several thrilling encounters in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 (SMAT 2025), but the most talked-about performances were Abhishek Sharma's record-breaking century and Ishan Kishan's explosive hundred. While Punjab comprehensively defeated Bengal by 112 runs in Abhishek's storm, Jharkhand triumphed over Tripura by eight wickets thanks to Ishan Kishan's century. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh suffered a loss against Madhya Pradesh despite Rinku Singh's excellent innings.
Abhishek Sharma's Historic Innings of 148 Runs in 58 Balls
T20 cricket's number one batsman, Abhishek Sharma, unleashed a storm against Bengal in the Elite Group C match that will be remembered for a long time. Playing for Punjab, Abhishek smashed 148 runs in just 58 balls. His explosive innings included 16 sixes and several brilliant fours.
Powered by Abhishek's innings, Punjab, batting first, posted a massive total of 310 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs, which became one of the biggest team scores in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In response, Bengal's b batting lineup could only manage 198 runs for 9 wickets and lost the match by 112 runs.
Abhishek Sharma completed his half-century in just 12 balls, making it jointly the third fastest in this format and jointly the second fastest among Indian batsmen. He did not play a single dot ball in the initial 12 deliveries, accumulating runs aggressively. He then completed his century in 32 balls. Although the world record for the fastest T20 century still belongs to Sahil Chauhan, who scored a hundred in 27 balls, Abhishek's innings has become one of the most explosive in domestic cricket history.
In this match, Abhishek hit 16 sixes in an innings, placing him second in the list of Indians with the most sixes in a T20 innings. Puneet Bisht holds the top spot on this list, having hit 17 sixes in a single match. For Bengal, captain Abhimanyu Easwaran fought a lone battle, playing a brilliant innings of 130 runs off 66 balls, but his efforts could not save the team from defeat.
Jharkhand's Strong Victory Thanks to Ishan Kishan's Century
In a crucial Elite Group D match, Jharkhand defeated Tripura by eight wickets, courtesy of Ishan Kishan's magnificent century. In the match played in Ahmedabad, Tripura, batting first, set a target of 182 runs. In response, Ishan Kishan played a stormy innings of 113 runs off 50 balls, including 10 fours and 8 sixes.
Alongside him, Virat Singh also played a valuable innings of 53 runs off 40 balls. The Jharkhand team achieved the target with 15 balls to spare, strengthening their position in the tournament.
Rinku Singh's Innings Couldn't Secure Victory for UP
In the Elite Group B match, Madhya Pradesh defeated Uttar Pradesh by 37 runs. Batting first, Madhya Pradesh scored 184 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs, with a contribution from captain Rajat Patidar (43 runs). In response, Uttar Pradesh's innings faltered at the start, but Rinku Singh gave hope with a fighting innings of 65 runs. Despite this, the entire UP team was all out for 147 runs in 18.4 overs and lost the match.
