New Delhi: Star all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer starred as Madhya Pradesh defeated Saurashtra by six wickets to reach the semi-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star who recently made headlines after being picked for a whopping Rs 23 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, shone with both the bat and the ball against Saurashtra in the quarter-final.
Iyer picked up two wickets to help Madhya Pradesh restrict Saurashtra to 173/7 in 20 overs before smashing an unbeaten 38 to help his team chase down the target of 174 runs with four balls to spare in the game. The KKR star was awarded the Player of the Match in the quarter-final. Chirag Jani’s unbeaten 80 went in vain for Saurashtra, who ended up on the losing side in the quarter-final.
Batting first, Saurashtra got off to a woeful start as they lost opener Tarang Gohel on a duck in the very first over before the likes of Prerak Mankad (16) and Harvik Desai (17) also perished cheaply. Jani then took control of his side’s innings and played a blinder of a knock as he smashed 80 not out off just 45 balls laced with 4 sixes and 8 fours.
Thanks to his brilliant knock, Saurashtra managed to post a fighting total of 173 runs on the board. However, Madhya Pradesh faced no difficulties in chasing down the target as the likes of Iyer and opener Arpit Gaud made vital contributions. Gaud smashed 42 off 29 balls while Iyer scored an unbeaten 38 to propel Madhya Pradesh over the line.
Madhya Pradesh are into the semis 🙌
A solid chase 💪
With 24 needed off 12, Harpreet Bhatia (22* off 9) and Venkatesh Iyer (38* off 33) hit some powerful blows to win it for Madhya Pradesh against Saurashtra 👌👌#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/h2Twh4lYDZ pic.twitter.com/8r2PaLgoaM
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 11, 2024
Will Venkatesh Iyer lead KKR in IPL 2025?
Iyer has been in fine form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 so far with 210 runs and 4 wickets for Madhya Pradesh in the premier domestic T20 tournament. Iyer was KKR’s most expensive pick at the IPL 2025 mega auction as the three-time champions broke the bank to resign the former all-rounder, fending off competition from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Iyer has emerged as one of the strongest contenders to lead KKR in IPL 2025 as the three-time champion didn’t go for any direct captaincy replacements for Shreyas Iyer at the auction. Apart from Iyer, the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell are among the leading contenders to captain KKR in IPL 2025.
Venkatesh Iyer shone with the bat and the ball as his brilliant all-round show helped Madhya Pradesh beat Saurashtra by six wickets to enter Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 semi-finals. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
