Tue Dec 03 07:49:53 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Crumbles Against Andhra in Mushtaq Ali Trophy
**Hyderabad:** Kerala suffered a humiliating 88-run defeat against Andhra Pradesh in their final group match of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Kerala were bowled out for a paltry 87 runs in 18.1 overs.
The Kerala batting line-up, featuring captain Sanju Samson and Salman Nizar, completely failed to deliver. Jalaj Saxena top-scored with 27 runs, while Abdul Basith provided some late resistance with an 18-run contribution.
The collapse began after the loss of Rohan Kunnummal (9) in the fourth over. A double blow in the final over of the powerplay proved decisive, with Shashikant removing both Sanju Samson (7 off 12) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (0) in consecutive balls. This left Kerala reeling and unable to recover. Further wickets tumbled, including Salman Nizar (3), Vishnu Vinod (1), and Vinod Kumar (3), leaving Kerala struggling at 50. The final hope, Jalaj Saxena, was run out for 27. Abdul Basith (18) and M D Nidheesh (14) offered late fight but couldn’t prevent a massive defeat. For Andhra, K V Shashikant took three wickets, while Sudarshan and Vinay claimed two each.
The defeat is a significant setback for Kerala, who were hoping to secure a top spot in their group. Although they and Mumbai currently have 16 points each, Andhra’s superior net run rate places them ahead. This loss casts serious doubt over Kerala’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals.
First Piper 