Ishan Kishan's Team Achieves New Milestone; Chase Down Record Total in SMAT

The Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 witnessed one of the most exciting and destructive matches of this season when Jharkhand and Punjab clashed against each other in the Super League Group A match in Pune on December 12.

Ishan Kishan's Jharkhand created history by chasing down a record total to register their name in the history books. The run-chase turned out to be a historic one as Jharkhand showed exceptional courage in chasing down a mammoth total. It is the highest run chase in SMAT. The Punjab vs Jharkhand match turned out to be a thriller but the latter turned out to be a winner.

Jharkhand Achieves Highest Successful Run Chase in SMAT

Batting first, Punjab put up a monumental total of 235 runs, thanks to Salil Arora's magnificent 125-run unbeaten knock, which came off just 45 balls, featuring nine fours and 11 sixes. Interestingly, Arora took 23 balls to score his half-century, but took only 16 balls to convert it into a sensational century, achieving the milestone in just 39 balls, which is also the third-fastest century for Punjab in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history.

However, what came next was predicted by no one. Jharkhand started the chase with real intent. Skipper Ishan Kishan, who is one of the best wicketkeepers in India, led the chase with an impressive 47-run knock off just 23 balls. Ishan Kishan SMAT performance has been great so far but the star of the chase was Kumar Kushagra, who played an unbeaten match-winning knock of 86 runs off just 42 deliveries, including eight fours and four sixes, to help his team chase down the target comfortably.

Anukul Roy's 37 and Pankaj Kumar's 39-run contribution played a major role in the chase as both came at a strike rate of over 200. Jharkhand achieved the target with 11 balls to spare and with six wickets in hand, making a statement that they are here to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Indian Domestic Players eyeing big in IPL 2026 Auction

Punjab might have lost the match, but it's a great moment for Salil Arora as the IPL 2026 auction is scheduled to take place on December 16, and there couldn't be a better day for him to score a century. Teams like the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals, who are known to invest in young talent, might place a bid on him.

Apart from him, there are also a lot of young talents who have performed well in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy might get a big bid during the auction. Anmolpreet Singh is another player from Punjab who might get a good price this auction.