Ishan Kishan and his Jharkhand side created history by winning their first-ever SMAT title, courtesy a 69-run win against Haryana in the summit clash on Thursday (December 18). Put into bat, Jharkhand smashed the highest-ever total in an SMAT final, a whopping 262/3, thanks to skipper Kishan's 49-ball 101 and Kumar Kushagra's electric 38-ball 81.
Leading from the front! 🫡
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 18, 2025
Ishan Kishan with a magnificent hundred in the #SMAT final 💯
The Jharkhand captain walks back for 1⃣0⃣1⃣(49) 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/3fGWDCTjoo@IDFCFIRSTBank | @ishankishan51 pic.twitter.com/PJ7VI752wp
On an absolutely flat pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Kishan and Kushagra made merry by belting 15 sixes and 14 fours between them. Kishan smashed ten maximums during his century while Kushagra cleared the ropes five times. Their partnership 177 from just 82 deliveries was an outstanding display of powerhitting.
When a team posts 262 in 20 overs, you know that the bowlers have got a hiding. Spearheard Anshul Kamboj wasn't spared either as he went for 51 off his four overs. He did provide the early breakthrough of Virat Singh but once the Kishan-Kushagra show began, all the Haryana bowlers were taken to the cleaners.
Anukul Roy (40* off 20) and Robin Minz (31* off 14) ensured the perfect finish as 75 came off the last 29 balls of Jharkhand's innings. Haryana needed a historic effort to even come close to this total but despite the favourable batting conditions on offer, they couldn't withstand the pressure of a Cup final.
Jharkhand's Vikash Singh drove home the advantage of a massive score by striking twice in the very first over of Haryana's chase, including the big scalp of skipper Ankit Kumar for a duck. Yashvardhan Dalal hammered a 22-ball 53 while Nishant Sindhu struck a 15-ball 31 but it was always a huge mountain to climb for Haryana.
Samant Jakhar struck a few blows in his 17-ball 38 but all this only contributed to narrowing the margin of defeat for Haryana. With a gargantuan total on the board, Jharkhand's bowlers ensured that they didn't get complacent and completed the formalities to take their team to glory. It was a one-sided final although Haryana's batters did try to entertain the crowd.
