Mon Nov 25 10:09:12 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Stumbles in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Loses to Maharashtra by Four Wickets
**Hyderabad, November 25, 2024:** Kerala suffered a disappointing four-wicket defeat against Maharashtra in their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Batting first after losing the toss, Kerala managed 187/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Rohan S Kunnummal top-scored for Kerala with a blistering 45 (24 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes). Significant contributions also came from Muhammed Ashruddeen (40 runs) and Sachin Baby (40 not out). However, IPL auction buys Vishnu Vinod, Salman Nizar, and Vinod Kumar failed to impress.
Maharashtra’s chase was anchored by Divyang Hinganekar’s unbeaten 43 (18 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes), who steered the team to victory with six wickets in hand and a ball to spare. Rahul Tripathi’s timely 44 (28 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) and Asim Kazi’s 32 (26 balls, 1 four, 1 six) also proved crucial. Arshin Kulkarni’s 24 (21 balls, 3 fours) added further impetus to the chase.
For Kerala, M.D. Nidheesh and Sijomon Joseph took two wickets each, conceding 32 and 42 runs respectively. Vinod Kumar and Abdul Basil picked up a wicket apiece. Hinganekar and Kulkarni claimed two wickets each for Maharashtra. Despite a strong start, Kerala’s lower middle order failed to provide the necessary support, ultimately handing Maharashtra a well-deserved victory.
First Piper 