Jammu and Kashmir registered a thrilling 25-run victory over a strong Jharkhand side in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, Mumbai, on Saturday. The brilliant performances of Abdul Samad, Qamran Iqbal, and Abid Mushtaq powered J&K to a brilliant win.
After being asked to bat first, J&K openers got off to a strong start, with a 51-run opening partnership. Shubham Khajuria contributed 20 runs off 20 balls before being dismissed by Bal Krishna. Qamran Iqbal then stole the show with a brilliant 61 off 32 balls, laced with power-packed strokes. Abdul Samad further bolstered the innings with a scintillating knock of 74 runs off just 37 deliveries, featuring seven sixes and five fours. J&K finished at an imposing total of 224/4.
In response, Jharkhand’s chase was led by Utkash Singh (54) and Pankaj Kumar (56), who kept their team in contention. Bal Krishna added a fiery 33 off 18 balls in the lower order, but the target proved too steep. Jharkhand was restricted to 199/9, falling short by 25 runs.
Abid Mushtaq was the star with the ball for J&K, claiming a crucial four-wicket haul, while Rasikh Salam and Yudhvir Singh picked up two wickets each. Mushtaq was deservedly named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution of four wickets and 12 runs.
With this win, J&K secured four valuable points in the tournament.
Brief Scores: J&K: 224/4 (Abdul Samad 74, Qamran Iqbal 61, P K Dogra 28; Bal Krishna 2/44)Jharkhand: 199/9 (Pankaj Kumar 56, Utkash Singh 54; Abid Mushtaq 4/42, Rasikh Salam 2/37).