Jammu and Kashmir’s senior men’s cricket team kicked off their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2024 campaign with an impressive and confident victory, outclassing a strong Maharashtra side by five wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
A Dominant Bowling Display by Jammu & Kashmir
Put in to bowl first, J&K delivered a disciplined and energetic performance with the ball. Maharashtra’s star-studded batting lineup—featuring Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Rahul Tripathi—struggled to break free against J&K’s relentless attack.
The Maharashtra team was restricted to just 130 runs in 19.5 overs. Only Vicky Ostwal (21), Arshin Kulkarni (20), and NS Nair (19) showed brief resistance.
- Aquib Nabi spearheaded the bowling effort with a brilliant 3/28
- Pace sensation Umran Malik rattled the opposition with pace and bounce, picking up 2 wickets
- Yudhvir Singh also chipped in with 2 wickets
- Abid Mushtaq (2 wickets) and Murugan Ashwin (1 wicket) kept the pressure tight in the middle overs
Calm and Confident Chase by J&K
Chasing 131, J&K’s openers set the tone with a steady start. Key contributions from the middle order ensured there were no major hiccups during the chase.
- Qamran scored an important 28 off 27 balls
- Skipper Shubham Khajuria added a crucial 26
- Abdul Samad played a handy knock of 20
- In the end, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (19)* and Abid Mushtaq (18)* finished the job with maturity, guiding J&K to a comfortable five-wicket win
For his excellent all-round performance—two wickets and an unbeaten match-winning knock—Abid Mushtaq was awarded the Player of the Match.
Maharashtra’s RS Hangargekar and PH Solanki picked up two wickets each, but their efforts were not enough to stop J&K’s momentum.
