The group stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite 2025 is done and dusted, and Tamil Nadu end their campaign on a positive note, even though both Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu failed to qualify for the Super League. Time to wrap up this coverage, folks! For now, it's me, Deepak Prakash, signing off on behalf of co-commentator Akshay Bhide and scorer/analyst Ghanendra Singh Thakur. CHEERS!
Player of the Match: Sai Sudharsan
7:58 PM IST, Local Time: A scintillating century from Sai Sudharsan, and Tamil Nadu win by 3 wickets, ending their journey on a positive note.
Earlier, Saurashtra posted a competitive 183/8 after choosing to bat, thanks to late acceleration that yielded 60 runs in the final five overs. Vishvaraj Jadeja set the tone with a blistering 70 off 39 balls, despite wickets falling around him. Sammar Gajjar added stability before switching gears to score 66 off 42, and his 70-run stand with Jadeja rebuilt the innings after a shaky middle phase. Tamil Nadu had their moments with the ballâR Silambarasan impressed with 3/30 and Esakkimuthu A chipped in with two wicketsâbut struggled to maintain pressure as Saurashtraâs middle order capitalised. Cameos from Ruchit Ahir, Parth Bhut, and Chetan Sakariya pushed the total to 183/8.
In reply, Tamil Nadu lost Tushar Raheja (1), Shivam Singh (2), and N Jagadeesan (5) cheaply, but Sai Sudharsan and Rithik Easwaran steadied the ship, adding 95 runs for the 4th wicket. Easwaran departed after a brisk 29 runs, and Tamil Nadu lost a couple of more wickets in quick succession.
Sudharsan kept going strong, while Sunny Sandhu exploded with a blazing 9-ball 30 before a run-out at the non-strikerâs end eased the pressure on Sudharsan. On the other hand, Sudharsan (101*) hammered his century and sealed the game with a boundary in the penultimate over.
Jaydev Unadkat starred with the ball for Saurashtra, claiming 3 wickets. Ankur Panwar chipped in with a couple of wickets, while Chetan Sakariya celebrated a solitary wicket but conceded 50 runs in his 4 overs.
4 FOUR RUNS! That's it! Sai Sudharsan brings up his century and finishes the game in style! Fuller length delivery on the off-stump line. The batter uses his bottom hand and smashes it over the bowler's head for a boundary. Tamil Nadu win by three wickets and 8 balls to spare.
18.3 A Panwar to Sudharsan
2 Fuller and around off. Flicks it to mid-wicket for a double. A wayward throw at the bowling end, and Unadkat is animated.
18.2 A Panwar to Sudharsan
0 Fuller and outside off. Sudharsan whips at it but misses.