December 9, 2024

Shami Shines with Bat and Ball to Propel Bengal into Quarter-Finals

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rinku Singh, along with Vipraj Nigam, helped Uttar Pradesh power past Andhra to reach the final eight. Meanwhile, Bengal secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) with a thrilling three-run victory over Chandigarh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday afternoon. The hero for Bengal was seamer Sayan Ghosh, who took 4 for 30, dismantling Chandigarh’s top order in their chase of 157. Karan Lal top-scored for Bengal with 33, and Writtick Chatterjee contributed with a quickfire 28 off 12 balls.

The match’s unexpected hero was Mohammed Shami, who delivered an explosive 17-ball 32 from No. 10, his highest T20 score, helping Bengal set a competitive total. Chandigarh’s chase was driven by Raj Bawa’s 32, but it came down to needing 20 runs off the last two overs with three wickets in hand. Shami, who had earlier taken a wicket in his first spell (3-0-13-1), returned at the death and conceded 12 runs in his final over. The equation was reduced to eight runs off the last six balls, setting up a tense finish.

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Ghosh and Shami Lead Bengal to Narrow Win, Shami’s Rehab Continues

Ghosh sealed the game for Bengal by bowling two dot balls and taking a wicket in the first five deliveries of his over, leaving Chandigarh needing seven from the final ball. Nishunk Birla managed to hit a boundary, but Bengal held on to win by three runs. Shami has been a key player for Bengal throughout the tournament, featuring in all eight matches and bowling his full quota of overs in each. He has taken nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.49. As of Monday, it’s understood that Shami will remain with the Bengal squad for the remainder of their campaign.

While in Bengaluru, Shami has been working with the National Cricket Academy staff as part of his rehabilitation process to return to top-flight cricket. However, he has not yet received the all-clear. On Sunday, India captain Rohit Sharma reiterated the need for caution regarding Shami’s return for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, emphasizing that “the door remains open” but urging patience after Shami developed knee swelling while bowling in the SMAT.

The Bengal team management has expressed satisfaction with Shami’s response to his workload and his intensity throughout the tournament. Shami has opted to rest rather than train on match-eve, a decision believed to be his own in an effort to conserve energy for the duration of the competition. Bengal will next face Baroda in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Key Performances Guide Uttar Pradesh to Thrilling Win Over Andhra

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2 for 30), Rinku Singh (27* off 22 balls), and Vipraj Nigam (2 for 20 and 27* off 8 balls) played key roles in helping Uttar Pradesh secure a thrilling four-wicket win over Andhra, booking their spot in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarter-finals. Andhra struggled at 89 for 5 after 15 overs and 113 for 6 after 16.2, but KV Sasikanth and SDNV Prasad provided late resistance with an unbeaten 43-run stand for the seventh wicket off just 16 balls, pushing the total to 156 for 6.

In response, UP got off to a solid start, with Karan Sharma and Aryan Juyal putting on 70 runs in 49 balls. However, they suffered a dramatic collapse, losing four wickets for just 18 runs in 24 balls, followed by two more in the 16th over, leaving Rinku stranded at one end. But Rinku found excellent support from Nigam, with the pair adding 48 runs off 18 balls to guide UP to victory with an over to spare.

Trott to Remain as Afghanistan Men’s Head Coach Until 2025

Jonathan Trott has been given a 12-month contract extension by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), ensuring he will remain as head coach until the end of 2025. His new assignment will be overseeing the ODI leg of Afghanistan’s upcoming multi-format tour of Zimbabwe, though he will not be involved in the other formats due to personal reasons. In his absence, Hamid Hassan will step in as acting head coach, with Nawroz Mangal serving as assistant coach.

Trott’s contract extension follows a highly successful 2024 for Afghanistan, which saw the team achieve several historic milestones. Notably, they reached their first-ever World Cup semi-final after defeating New Zealand and Australia in the Group and Super Eight stages of the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the USA. The team also recorded series wins over South Africa and Bangladesh in ODIs, further cementing their progress under Trott’s leadership.

Afghanistan’s Rise to the Champions Trophy and Trott’s Leadership

Afghanistan’s next major global tournament will be their debut in the Champions Trophy next year. They earned a spot in the event by finishing in the top eight of the 2023 ODI World Cup points table, with notable victories over England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Jonathan Trott’s tenure as head coach began in July 2022 with an initial 18-month contract, which was extended by another year in January 2024. Under his leadership, Afghanistan has won 14 of their 34 ODIs and 20 of 44 T20Is. This is Trott’s first role as a head coach, although he previously worked as a consultant with Scotland during the 2021 T20 World Cup. As a player, Trott made 3,835 runs in 52 Tests at an average of 44.08 and was instrumental in England’s Ashes win in 2010-11. In ODIs, he scored 2,819 runs at an average of 51.25, including four centuries and 22 fifties.

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