Ishan Kishan's dominant performance throughout the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy culminated in a match-winning century
in the final, as Jharkhand secured their first T20 title by defeating Haryana by 69 runs in Pune. His form puts him
firmly back in contention for a spot in the T20I team.
Jharkhand, after being put in to bat, amassed a formidable 262 for 3, which is the highest score ever recorded in a T20
tournament final. The foundation of the innings was a 177-run partnership for the second wicket between Kishan and Kumar
Kushagra. Kishan scored a blistering 101 off 49 balls, while Kushagra contributed a rapid 81 from 38 deliveries. The
dismissal of both batsmen in quick succession provided Haryana with a brief respite during an innings that included 20
In their chase, Haryana's top order collapsed early, losing three wickets within the powerplay. However, Yashvardhan
Dalal (53) and Nishant Sindhu (31) offered some resistance, keeping Haryana's hopes alive briefly. But once they were
both dismissed, leaving the score at 104 for 5 at the halfway stage, Jharkhand were in control. Haryana were eventually
bowled out for 193 in the penultimate over.
### Kishan's Powerplay Onslaught
Haryana's Anshul Kamboj provided an early breakthrough, dismissing Virat Singh in the first over. However, Kishan then
took over, launching six sixes during the powerplay. His aggressive batting propelled Jharkhand to 69 for 1 and brought
up the fifty partnership with Kushagra in just 27 balls.
Kishan showcased a wide array of shots, punishing anything short with powerful pulls. He also dispatched full deliveries
from Ishant Bhardwaj down the ground. Haryana turned to spin early, but Amit Rana's three overs cost 48 runs. Kishan's
sixes in the powerplay helped him surpass Salil Arora's record for the most sixes in the tournament (28).
### Kushagra Joins the Attack
Kumar Kushagra, who had been instrumental in Jharkhand's journey to the final with three consecutive half-centuries,
ensured there was no lull after the powerplay. He attacked Sumit Kumar, one of Haryana's leading seamers, hitting him
for three fours in the seventh over.
While Kishan relied on power, Kushagra impressed with his cover drives and his ability to quickly assess the length of
the ball. He reached his half-century in just 29 balls.
### Minz and Anukul Finish Strong
Haryana missed a chance to dismiss Kishan when Sumit Kumar failed to hold on to a return catch. Kishan, then on 71, went
on to complete his century off 47 balls before being dismissed.
Even after losing both Kishan and Kushagra, Jharkhand maintained their scoring rate, thanks to Anukul Roy and Robin
Minz. Anukul struck 40 off 20 balls, while Minz added 31 not out from 14 deliveries, which included three sixes. They
added 75 runs in the final 29 balls.
### Haryana's Brief Fightback
Haryana's chase started poorly, but Yashvardhan Dalal counter-attacked with a rapid half-century off 19 balls. Nishant
Sindhu also contributed with 31 before being dismissed. Anukul Roy's ability to extract turn from the surface helped
Jharkhand, with the 4:30 pm start negating the effect of dew. Sushant Mishra impressed with his bowling, taking 3 for
27. Bal Krishna secured the victory by dismissing Ishant Bhardwaj.