The star-studded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 kicked off in a superb fashion across various venues. The premier domestic T20 tournament that acts as a feeder to the IPL talent saw six matches get live streamed, while the action spread across 16 elite matches and 3 plate ties. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Sanju Samson headlined the hype of the first round. However, it was Gujarat’s Urvil Patel, who took all the limelight after scoring one of the fastest T20 centuries as an Indian, yet again.
Suryakumar Yadav finds form
Getting some runs under his belt at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was extremely crucial for Suryakumar Yadav. Despite having a rollicking IPL 2025, Suryakumar’s year in India colours has been rough. In T20Is this year he has just 184 runs in 15 innings, averaging 15.33. With the T20 World Cup 2026 now less than 75 days away, Suryakumar desperately needs runs and he found some in Mumbai’s easy win over the Railways.
After Ashutosh Sharma’s great finish, Railways posted 158/5. The chase began terrifically well for the defending champions as Ajinkya Rahane looked in his vintage best, hammering fours and sixes for fun. The dismissal of Ayush Mhatre brought in the Indian T20I captain to the crease and he looked confident. He stitched a 51-run stand with Rahane, who scored a 33-ball 62. Suryakumar hammered five boundaries and a couple of sixes during his stay. He got out while slashing one but got hit on the pads.
Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur (1/15 after 4 overs) and Shivam Dube (1/11 after 3 overs) were great with the ball too.
CSK batter Urvil Patel scripts history
Urvil Patel has kicked off the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 with a statement so loud that every CSK fan will celebrate. The Gujarat opener destroyed Services with a ridiculous 31-ball century in Hyderabad, finishing unbeaten on 119 off just 37 deliveries. His innings included 12 fours and 10 sixes, powering Gujarat to a 183-run chase in only 12.3 overs. It was chaos, the good kind.
With this knock, the 27-year-old now owns both the fastest and second-fastest hundreds by an Indian in T20 cricket. He already shared the 28-ball record with Abhishek Sharma from last season, and now adds a 31-ball ton to the list. He also becomes only the second batter after Abhishek Sharma to hit three or more centuries in SMAT history. For CSK, who signed and retained him for just ₹30 lakh, Urvil is fast turning into highway robbery
Sanju Samson scores 50 but gets overshadowed
Sanju Samson finally spent some time in the middle and scored a neat half-century in Kerala’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener, but it was a night where he ended up playing second fiddle. Kerala chased down 177 against Odisha without losing a wicket, yet all the noise belonged to Rohan Kunnummal, whose breathtaking 121 off 60 balls turned the contest into a lop-sided encounter.
Samson opened with Kunnummal and made 51 off 41 balls, a steady knock with six fours and a six. But while Samson paced himself at a strike rate of 124, Kunnummal went ballistic, striking at 201 and clearing the ropes 10 times. The contrast was hard to miss. Captaining Kerala, Samson looked controlled but wasn’t ballistic like he usually plays.
The pair put on 177* in 16.3 overs, making history with the highest-ever successful SMAT chase without losing a wicket. Still, with a South Africa T20I series around the corner and his high-profile move to CSK still being talked around, Samson’s more subdued tempo will invite debate. It was a fifty, but not the kind that answers questions around finishing punch or modern T20 tempo. Regardless, it was Samson’s 50th fifty in the format.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) Results – Round 1
| Team 1 | Score (Overs) | Team 2 | Score (Overs) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 132/10 (19.2) | Jharkhand | 138/3 (14.5) | Jharkhand won by 7 Wickets |
| Baroda | 181/8 (20.0) | Bengal | 182/4 (17.1) | Bengal won by 6 Wickets |
| Bihar | 157/7 (20.0) | Chandigarh | 160/4 (18.4) | Chandigarh won by 6 Wickets |
| Andhra | 143/9 (20.0) | Assam | 114/10 (19.4) | Andhra won by 29 Runs |
| Rajasthan | 170/4 (16.3) | Tamil Nadu | 169/8 (20.0) | Rajasthan won by 6 Wickets |
| Haryana | 196/6 (20.0) | Pondicherry | 201/9 (20.0) | Pondicherry won by 5 Runs |
| Kerala | 177/0 (16.3) | Odisha | 176/7 (20.0) | Kerala won by 10 Wickets |
| Hyderabad | 145/5 (18.1) | Madhya Pradesh | 144/9 (20.0) | Hyderabad won by 5 Wickets |
| Saurashtra | 124/6 (16.0) | Tripura | 123/10 (19.3) | Saurashtra won by 4 Wickets |
| Himachal Pradesh | 147/8 (20.0) | Punjab | 153/5 (13.5) | Punjab won by 5 Wickets |
| J & K | 132/5 (18.4) | Maharashtra | 130/10 (19.5) | J & K won by 5 Wickets |
| Mumbai | 159/3 (15.5) | Railways | 158/5 (20.0) | Mumbai won by 7 Wickets |
| Karnataka | 198/5 (20.0) | Uttarakhand | 197/5 (20.0) | Karnataka won by 5 Wickets |
| Gujarat | 183/2 (12.3) | Services | 182/9 (20.0) | Gujarat won by 8 Wickets |
| Chhattisgarh | 133/9 (20.0) | Vidarbha | 106/10 (19.1) | Chhattisgarh won by 27 Runs |
| Goa | 172/9 (20.0) | Uttar Pradesh | 173/4 (18.2) | Uttar Pradesh won by 6 Wickets |
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