Haryana Hammer Hyderabad, Set Up Title Clash Against Jharkhand

Haryana will face Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final on December 18 in Pune, following the conclusion of the Super League stage on Tuesday, which coincided with the IPL 2026 auction.

Haryana secured their place in the final with a resounding 124-run victory over Hyderabad. This win allowed them to tie with Hyderabad on points, but Haryana advanced due to a superior net run rate, topping Group B.

Both Haryana, Hyderabad, and Mumbai concluded the stage with eight points each. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. it was Haryana who clinched the top spot, earning them a place in the final.

Haryana's batting lineup exploded for the second consecutive game, posting another total exceeding 230. This time, their efforts translated into a decisive victory. Captain Ankit Kumar provided a blistering start, scoring 57 off just 27 balls, including six sixes. Ankit's recent scores in the tournament showcase his consistent form: 57, 89, 60, 46, 6, 44, 78*, 9, and 51. Following an opening partnership of 81 runs in 7.4 overs, Haryana experienced a brief slowdown before Samant Jakhar and Parth Vats combined to add 81 runs in just 32 balls. Their explosive hitting propelled the score from 135 for 5 to 216 for 6. Jakhar smashed eight sixes in his 22-ball 60, while Vats contributed 45 off 19 balls, including three sixes. Haryana ultimately reached 246 for 7. Mohammed Siraj bowled four overs, conceding 37 runs and taking one wicket.

In response, Hyderabad struggled early, falling to 16 for 2 and reaching 58 for 3 by the end of the powerplay. They then faltered further, slipping to 99 for 6 and never recovering. Amit Rana's off-spin proved crucial, as he claimed 3 wickets for 14 runs in his three overs. Anshul Kamboj also contributed with 2 wickets for 16 runs in 3.1 overs.

Despite Nitish Kumar Reddy's all-around effort, Andhra defeated Jharkhand, ending their nine-game winning streak in the tournament. Nevertheless, Jharkhand finished atop Group B with eight points, the same as Andhra, but advanced to the final due to a superior net run rate.

Reddy's quickfire 45 off 22 balls lifted Andhra to 203 for 7. He then took 2 for 32 with the ball, slowing Jharkhand's chase and securing a nine-run victory.

Jharkhand's innings began strongly, with Ishan Kishan (35) and Virat Singh building an 88-run opening stand in just 6.5 overs. S Raju dismissed Kishan, providing the breakthrough.

Virat continued his aggressive scoring, reaching 77 before being dismissed. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Reddy's second spell proved decisive in disrupting Jharkhand's momentum. He dismissed Kumar Kushagra, while Tripurana Vijay removed Virat. Reddy then struck again, dismissing Robin Minz.

Despite these setbacks, Jharkhand still required 40 runs from the final five overs. Saurabh Kumar then shifted the game's momentum, conceding only three runs and dismissing Anukul Roy in the 16th over. He followed this with another tight over, conceding five runs and dismissing Rajandeep Singh. Defending 18 runs in the final over, Reddy conceded only three runs from the first three balls. Bal Krishna's last-ball six was not enough to secure the win for Jharkhand.

In other Super League matches, Sarfaraz Khan's 73 off 22 balls propelled Mumbai to chase down a 200-plus total for the second consecutive game. Rajasthan had posted 216, but Mumbai chased it down with three wickets remaining and 11 balls to spare. Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 72 from 41 balls, adding 111 runs off just 38 balls with Sarfaraz for the second wicket.

Sarfaraz had previously scored 64 off 25 balls to help Mumbai chase 235 against Hyderabad. Against Rajasthan, he hit six fours and seven sixes. Atharva Ankolekar added a quickfire 26 off nine balls. Manav Suthar took 3 for 23 for Rajasthan.

Rajasthan's total was built on half-centuries from Mukul Choudhary (54*) and Deepak Hooda (51). Hooda and Ramnivas Golada (48 off 29 balls) added 103 runs. Choudhary and Mahipal Lomror (39, with four sixes) then added 89 runs in 44 balls. Tushar Deshpande conceded 54 runs in four overs.

In a dead-rubber match in Pune, Punjab defeated Madhya Pradesh by two wickets, ending their two-match losing streak. Harnoor Singh and Salil Arora scored half-centuries, while Ramandeep Singh remained unbeaten on 35 from 21 balls, helping Punjab chase down 226 with five balls remaining.

Punjab lost captain Prabhsimran Singh early, but Anmolpreet Singh and Harnoor Singh counter-attacked, adding 50 runs in just 18 balls. Harnoor scored 64 off 36 balls, including five fours and three sixes, and added 73 runs for the fourth wicket with Arora. Punjab needed 45 runs from the final five overs when Arora (50 off 29 balls) was dismissed in the 16th over. A mini-collapse followed, with four wickets falling for 20 runs, but Ramandeep guided Punjab to victory.

This chase marked the seventh time Punjab has crossed the 200-run mark in the tournament this season. No other team has managed more than four 200-plus totals in a single edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with Jharkhand also reaching that mark in 2025-26.

Venkatesh Iyer top-scored for Madhya Pradesh with 70 off 43 balls. Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Aniket Verma, and Mangesh Yadav also contributed, lifting the team to 225 for 8, which ultimately proved insufficient. Gurnoor Brar was the standout bowler, finishing with 3 for 45.