SMAT KO: It’s Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Mohammed Siraj as Mumbai take on Hyderabad | cricket news
MUMBAI: A tantalizing contest between two of India’s leading players – opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and opener Mohammed Siraj – is set to light up the Mumbai-Hyderabad clash as both teams begin their campaigns in the knockout stage (to be played in a Super Four format) of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, Pune, on Friday.Mumbai will be buoyed by the presence of Jaiswal, who smashed his maiden ODI match-winning century (116 not out from 89 balls) against South Africa in the third and final ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
Siraj, who has been rested from the white-ball leg of South Africa’s ongoing tour of India after featuring in all four home Tests this season, will meanwhile be keen to highlight his worth in the T20 format. The 31-year-old played in Hyderabad’s last SMAT Championship match, taking 1 for 15 in four overs against Uttar Pradesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, to play a key role in his team’s three-wicket victory.Jaiswal, who joined the team on Thursday, replaced young opener Ayush Mhatre, currently leading the Indian Under-19 team in the U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, from the Mumbai side. Mhatre had struck two centuries at the SMAT league stadium. Siraj, it is learnt, flew to Pune from Hyderabad on Thursday and is expected to take part in Friday’s match.Mumbai and Hyderabad qualified for the knockout stages in style. Mumbai topped Elite Group A with six wins from seven matches to finish with 24 points, while Hyderabad registered five wins from seven matches to finish top of Elite Group B with 20 points.The Mumbai-Hyderabad match will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on JioHotstar.Mumbai will face Haryana in their second Super Four match at the Dr DY Patil Academy ground in Ambi on December 14, before facing Rajasthan on December 16 at Gahunje in their final Super Four match. The final will be played on December 18.
