Mumbai storms into SMAT semifinals with Shaw and Rahane’s brilliance

Mumbai has secured their spot in the semifinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) after a convincing six-wicket victory over Vidarbha in the quarterfinals.

A crucial factor in Mumbai’s success was the exceptional performance of Ajinkya Rahane. The in-form batter scored a blistering 84 runs off just 45 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes. This knock further solidified his position as one of the tournament’s top performers, with 334 runs in six innings at an impressive average of 55.66 and a strike rate exceeding 167.

Earlier in the match, Vidarbha, after winning the toss and electing to bat, got off to a strong start with a quickfire half-century stand between Atharva Taide and Karun Nair. However, Mumbai’s bowlers, led by Atharva Ankolekar and Suryansh Shedge, fought back to restrict Vidarbha to 221/6.

In the chase, Mumbai’s openers, Prithvi Shaw and Rahane, provided a blazing start, racing to 50 runs in just 3.3 overs. Although Shaw was dismissed for a quickfire 49, Rahane continued to dominate, reaching his half-century in 27 balls.

With contributions from Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge, Mumbai comfortably chased down the target with four balls to spare. Rahane was rightfully named the Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.