Ishan Kishan needed just 50 deliveries for an unbeaten 113, guiding Jharkhand past Tripura’s 182 for 7 with 15 balls in hand at Ahmedabad. The result keeps Kishan’s side perfect after three matches in this season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“We spoke about intent in the dressing-room,” the captain told the host broadcaster. “If the ball is in my zone I’m going after it, simple as that.” His knock, laced with ten fours and eight sixes, stood at the heart of a 153-run partnership with Virat Singh (53 off 40). Tripura earlier leaned on Vijay Shankar’s 59 (41) and Manisankar Murasingh’s brisk 42, yet once Kishan found his range the chase felt routine. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy, fresh from a match-winning 95 two nights ago, chipped in with 2 for 29.
Analytically the numbers back up the eye test: Kishan scored 73 of his runs in boundaries, struck at 226, and allowed Jharkhand to preserve a healthy net run rate—often decisive in short group phases.
Nagarkoti holds nerve in one-run thriller
At the same ground Rajasthan edged Karnataka by a solitary run, their third win on the spin and one that leaves Karnataka, beaten twice in as many outings, scrambling for permutations. Rajasthan’s 201 for 5 owed plenty to Mahipal Lomror (48 off 30), Deepak Hooda (43 off 28) and Kartik Sharma (46 off 31).
Karnataka fell to 51 for 3 before Karun Nair’s fluent 51 (32) and R Smaran’s 48 (31) revived hopes. The equation read 19 off the final two overs, but Kamlesh Nagarkoti removed Abhinav Manohar and Pravin Dubey—hero of their opening win—in successive balls to tilt the match. “I just tried to hit the yorker length,” the 25-year-old said in a modest post-match chat with local media. “Sometimes it lands, sometimes it doesn’t; today it did.”
Patidar marks comeback with punchy 43
Rajat Patidar, returning after a month on the sidelines, crashed 43 from 20 to set up Madhya Pradesh’s 37-run victory over Uttar Pradesh in Kolkata. Entering at 71 for 2, Patidar’s five boundaries and two sixes propelled MP to 184 for 7 alongside Harsh Gawli.
Quick Shivam Shukla knocked over three of UP’s top four, yet Rinku Singh countered with 65 off 38 to keep the chase alive. Leg-spinner Rahul Batham ended the resistance—Rinku picked out Patidar at long-on—to finish with 3 for 33 as UP folded in 18.3 overs. “Good to be back, good to hold on to that catch,” Patidar smiled afterwards.
Group picture
After three rounds Jharkhand and Rajasthan share perfect records, Madhya Pradesh sit two-and-one, while Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh face an uphill climb. Net run rate already looms as a silent tiebreaker, making Kishan’s desire to finish early feel more than mere bravado.
