The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 saw an interesting clash between Group C Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Jharkhand at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium. The star of the show was none other than the UP skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumarand his amazing hat-trick turned the match in his team's favour.
Hat-Trick Bhuvneshwar Kumar: a bowling masterpiecefrom
In an exciting moment in the 17th over of Jharkhand's innings, Bhuvneshwar Kumarthe experienced right-arm medium-fast bowler, brought her name into the record books with a stunning feat.
The first wicket came as Robin Minzbatting on 11, he tried to hit the ball for a boundary but was eventually caught by Priyam Garg. The scoreboard read 116 when Minz left. On the next ball, Balkrishna we mentioned an angled delivery as he attempted a shot along the leg side, giving the wicketkeeper an easy catch Aryan Juyal and going for a golden duck.
The hat-trick ball was a beauty, an attractive delivery that went away Vivekananda Tiwari completely bamboozled as he went into the stumps, sending the balls flying. The crowd burst into applause as Kumar celebrated his amazing feat.
Here is the video:
1⃣ 6⃣.1⃣ – Wicket ✅
1⃣ 6⃣.2⃣ – Wicket ✅
1⃣ 6⃣.3⃣ – Wicket ✅Watch Bhuvneshwar's awesome hat trick that helped Uttar Pradesh beat Jharkhand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai 👌👌#SMAT | @IDFCFIRTB Bank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/iZkdrM9S0S pic.twitter.com/p6V6hqkqh1
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 5, 2024
Bhuvneshwar's match-turning spell earned him a well-deserved Player of the Match award. His accuracy and ability to deliver under pressure showed why he remains one of the most reliable bowlers.
Also READ: The 5 fastest centuries in T20 cricket. Abhishek Sharma
Jharkhand's spiritual quest falls short
Jharkhand won the toss and elected to bowl first, aiming to take advantage of the conditions. Uttar Pradesh, despite losing wickets at regular intervals, managed to post a respectable 160/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Contributions from the middle order ensured that the team reached a competitive total. Jharkhand's Krishna was the stand-out bowler, claiming three crucial wickets to keep the Uttar Pradesh batsmen in check.
Chasing 161 for victory, Jharkhand's innings revolved around a brilliant knock Anukul Roywho smashed 91 runs in a valiant effort. However, his heroics were not enough, as Jharkhand piled on the pressure and were bowled out for 150 in 19.5 overs and lost the match by 10 runs.
