Punjab Slams Highest-Ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Total; Scores 275/6 Against Andhra
Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 112 [X.com]
On Tuesday, Punjab created history against Andhra in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2023, slamming 275 runs at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
Punjab's 275 for 6 broke the previous record for the highest-ever total in SMAT history, beating Mumbai's 258 against Sikkim in 2019 in Indore.
For Punjab, young batter Abhishek Sharma starred scoring 112 off 51, with nine fours and as many sixes, while Anmolpreet Singh slammed a 26-ball 87. Sharma is coming off a decent run in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), scoring 226 runs in 11 matches.
For Andhra, Tripurana Vijay, Stephen and Prithvi Raj Yarra claimed two wickets apiece, respectively.
After Punjab and Mumbai, Andhra holds the record of scoring the third-highest total (254/4) against Manipur, while Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh round off an impressive top-5 list with 250/3 against Services and 244/4 against Meghalaya, respectively.
| Team | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab | 275 / 6 | Andhra |
| Mumbai | 258 / 4 | Sikkim |
| Andhra | 252 / 4 | Manipur |
| Karnataka | 250 / 3 | Services |
| Madhya Pradesh | 244 / 4 | Meghalaya |
Punjab, captained by Mandeep Singh, are placed sixth in Group C with one loss, while Andhra, led by K S Bharat, occupy the fifth position.
As of writing, Andhra have lost six wickets for 34 runs and have Ricky Bhui and Vijay in the middle, batting on 6* and 0*, respectively.
Bharat, Hanuma Vihari, Ashwin Hebbar, Sheikh Rasheed, Yara Sandeep and Dheeraj Kumar all fell without disturbing the scorer much, with Siddharth Kaul and Harpreet Brar clinching two and three wickets each.
 "Vishal Mehra")