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SMAT 2025: How Nitish Kumar Reddy Ended Jharkhand's Nine-Match Streak

Nitish Kumar Reddy was the star of the show with both bat and ball. His explosive innings and crucial wickets helped Andhra Pradesh post a big total and defend it. Jharkhand fought hard with Virat Singh playing a brilliant knock, but fell just nine runs short. This result ends their impressive nine-match winning run in the tournament.

Key Points: Nitish Kumar Reddy Shines as Andhra Pradesh Beats Jharkhand in SMAT

  • Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a quickfire 45 off 22 balls and took 2 wickets for 32 runs
  • Andhra's openers set a strong platform with a 61-run partnership led by Srikar Bharat
  • Jharkhand's chase was powered by Virat Singh's explosive 77 off 40 deliveries
  • In another match, Sarfaraz Khan's 22-ball 73 led Mumbai to a thrilling chase of 217
2 min read

SMAT 2025: Nitish Kumar Reddy shines as Andhra Pradesh ends Jharkhand's nine-match winning streak

Nitish Kumar Reddy's all-round performance powers Andhra Pradesh to a thrilling 9-run win, ending Jharkhand's dominant nine-match winning streak in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

"Nitish Kumar was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance. - Match Report"

Pune, December 16

India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy's all-round performance has helped his side Andhra Pradesh to clinch a nine-run win against in-form Jharkhand in a Super League Group A match at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 at the DY Patil Academy on Tuesday.

Nitish Kumar was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance. With this victory, Andhra Pradesh ended Jharkhand's nine-match winning streak in the ongoing domestic tournament.

Batting first, Srikar Bharat (35 off 19 balls) and Ashwin Hebbar (30 off 18 balls) notched up a 61-run partnership for the opening wicket. Nitish Reddy smashed 45 runs off 22 balls, including six fours and two sixes, as Andhra posted 203/7 in 20 overs. Rajandeep Singh (2/35) and Anukul Roy (2/30) were among the wicket-takers for Jharkhand.

In response, Captain Ishan Kishan (35 off 18 balls, including seven boundaries), Virat Singh (77 off 40 deliveries, with the help of four boundaries and seven sixes) stitched an 88-run partnership for the opening wicket.

Robin Minz scored 25 runs as Jharkhand posted 194/8 in 20 overs and lost the match by nine runs. With the ball, Nitish Kumar Reddy (2/32) and Saurabh Kumar (2/21) had a good outing for Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Mumbai won a high-scoring contest by three wickets at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Batting first, Rajasthan made 216/4 in 20 overs after Deepak Hooda (51 off 31 balls) and Mukul Choudhary (54* off 28 balls) slammed half-centuries.

For Mumbai, captain Shardul Thakur (1/43), Tushar Deshpande (1/54), Sairaj Patil (1/31) and Shams Mulani (1/33) were among the wicket-takers.

While chasing, Ajinkya Rahane (72 off 41 balls) and Sarfaraz Khan (73 off 22 balls) smashed blistering half-centuries that helped Mumbai to chase down a 217-run target in 18.1 overs.

Sarfaraz Khan was named Player of the Match for his match-winning half-century.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Jharkhand's winning streak had to end sometime, but what a match to lose it in! 203 vs 194, that's a proper thriller. Virat Singh's 77 was brilliant too, just fell short. SMAT is so competitive this year.
V
Vikram M
The real highlight for me was the Mumbai chase. 217 target chased in 18.1 overs? Sarfaraz Khan 73 off 22 balls is just insane hitting. He's sending a strong message to the selectors. Hope he gets a proper run in the national side soon.
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Priya S
While the batting fireworks are great, the bowling figures are a bit worrying, no? Tushar Deshpande going for 54 runs in 4 overs... in a domestic T20, that's expensive. Bowlers need more support from the pitches, it's becoming a batsman's game only.
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Rohit P
Good to see Srikar Bharat getting some runs at the top. He's a solid keeper-batsman. And Ishan Kishan started well for Jharkhand too. The depth in wicket-keeping options for India is fantastic because of tournaments like SMAT.
K
Kavya N
As someone from Andhra, so proud of the team! 🎉 Beating a strong side like Jharkhand, that too ending their streak, is a massive confidence booster. Hope they carry this momentum forward. Nitish Reddy, beta, keep shining!

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