Madhya Pradesh Wins by 4 Wickets Over Andhra in SMAT Opener

Pune, India – Andhra Pradesh suffered a four-wicket defeat to Madhya Pradesh in their opening Super League match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 on December 12 at the DY Patil Academy, despite a spectacular hat-trick from allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy that briefly tilted the game in their favor.

Batting first after Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to field, Andhra Pradesh collapsed to 112 all out in 19.1 overs. The innings began poorly, with the team slipping to 7 for 2 early on. Wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat provided resistance, top-scoring with 39 off 31 balls, while Reddy contributed 25 off 27 deliveries in a crucial 50-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Bharat's dismissal by Venkatesh Iyer triggered a dramatic slide, as Andhra lost eight wickets for just 55 runs. Four batters departed without scoring, highlighting the pressure applied by Madhya Pradesh's bowlers.

Shivam Shukla led the Madhya Pradesh attack with figures of 4 for 23 in four overs, earning him the player-of-the-match award. Tripuresh Singh supported with 3 for 31, including the wickets of Ashwin Hebbar, Shaik Rasheed, and Pyla Avinash. Rahul Batham chipped in with 2...