Ajinkya Rahane’s 95* guides Mumbai to 9-wicket victory in Lucknow:Assam defeated Kerala by 5-wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; Amandeep’s heroics seal win for Chhattisgarh

The Group A league stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy concluded on Monday with Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh securing their places in the next round. The final day, however, witnessed the absence of several star players, including Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav and Ayush Mhatre, as well as Kerala’s Sanju Samson. Tournament officials confirmed that many leading players had already left to join national or other domestic squads. Despite the missing stars, the matches delivered high-quality cricket and impressive individual performances. Mumbai, Vidarbha, Assam, and Chhattisgarh all finished the day with strong wins, keeping fans entertained throughout the final round of the group stage. Rahane’s blazing 95 guides Mumbai to a nine-wicket win Mumbai produced a dominant show as they defeated Odisha by nine wickets at the Ekana Stadium. After winning the toss, Mumbai chose to bowl first and restricted Odisha to 167/7 in 20 overs. Odisha struggled early, losing Subhranshu (1) and Sandeep (19) cheaply. Sambit and Ashirvad contributed 28 runs each, helping the team reach a competitive total. Suryans impressed for Mumbai with three wickets. In reply, Mumbai chased the target with ease, losing only one wicket. The star of the match was Ajinkya Rahane, who played a sensational unbeaten knock of 95 off 56 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes. His explosive batting earned him the Player of the Match award as Mumbai comfortably sealed victory. Assam defeated Kerala in a low-scoring contest Assam outplayed Kerala by five wickets, thanks to a strong all-round effort. Kerala, missing Sanju Samson, struggled from the start after being asked to bat first. They lost four wickets for just 62 runs. Assam bowler Sadik Hussain was the standout performer, taking four wickets. Mukhtar Hussain, Abhinav Chaudhary, and Abdul Ajaz Qureshi claimed two wickets each. Chasing the target, Assam reached the score with seven balls to spare. Pradyun Saikia played an important innings of 41 runs, ensuring a smooth finish for his team. Vidarbha outclass Andhra by 19 runs Vidarbha continued their strong form by defeating Andhra Pradesh by 19 runs. Batting first, Vidarbha posted 154/8, led by Aman Mokhade’s powerful 50 off 35 balls, which included seven boundaries. Akshay Wadkar supported well with a 41-run knock. Andhra bowler Raju took four wickets. In reply, Andhra fell short, managing only 135 runs. Avinash top-scored with 44, but Yash Thakur’s four-wicket haul ensured Vidarbha’s win. Amandeep’s heroics seal a win for Chhattisgarh In another exciting match, Chhattisgarh chased down Railways’ target of 170 with five wickets in hand. Amandeep Khare delivered a match-winning innings of 78 not out off 47 balls, smashing 10 fours and two sixes. His aggressive batting ensured Chhattisgarh crossed the line with five balls remaining.