Delhi’s Prince Yadav, second left, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Uttar Pradesh’s Rinku Singh during the second quarter-final T20 cricket match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (PTI Photo)
The chaos one usually associates with the Delhi team is missing. Unlike the Ranji season when change seems to be around the corner after every outing, they look a settled outfit at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT). Nobody seems to be pointing fingers at others for mistakes on the field. If anything, there is an air of confidence in the way Delhi are going about their business.
After heartbreaking exits in the last two seasons, here they are again, the Delhi side led by Ayush Badoni looking to get past the semifinals stage as they prepare to face Madhya Pradesh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
For a team that has been struggling in the Ranji Trophy over the last few seasons, the SMAT is turning into a tournament where they seem to be settled. Last season, Delhi were the only unbeaten team before they went down to eventual champions Punjab in the semifinals. In the 2022/23 season, when they were firing on all cylinders, they went down to Vidarbha by one run in the quarterfinals. This season, they topped Group C and in the quarterfinals, swept aside Uttar Pradesh to stand one step away from the final.
Here are the semi-finalists of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 🙌
An action-packed 13th December awaits us ⏰ #SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/N9jhZKMsXZ
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 11, 2024
Himmat Singh, who captained Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, attributes the transformation to the Delhi Premier League (DPL) launched this year. “All of us have been playing for a few years now. Over the years, we have better understanding of each other and there is more trust in each other. This time, the DPL has helped us find new talents and they are stepping up here and performing. To win a tournament, a good combination is important and we have a good one at the moment. We have also seen different players stepping up each time, which means we are contributing as a group,” Himmat tells The Indian Express.
While Delhi batsmen’s application in the long format has come under scrutiny, in the T20 format, they look at home thanks to a batting line-up that is not short on firepower. Take their quarterfinal against Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, when they looked every bit a unit that knew what the game plan was.
Knowing their jobs
Against a UP side whose attack was not short on quality, the intent shown by the Delhi top order – that includes Priyansh Arya, Yash Dhull, skipper Badoni and Anuj Rawat – stood out. Arya had an outstanding DPL, where he walked away as player of the tournament. While Badoni and Rawat have IPL experience, Dhull is among the runs again.
“If you look at it, as a group, all of us play more T20s than long format in Delhi. It is one format where if we find ourselves in a tricky situation, we know how to come out of it. That doesn’t happen in red-ball cricket consistently. Here, all the boys have good game awareness as to whom to attack and which bowler to bring on when a particular batsman is in the middle. We have gotten better in areas where we needed improvement,” Himmat feels.
Delhi enter semis 🙌
They bowl Uttar Pradesh out for 174, defending 193, & win by 19 runs 👏#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/0WBG2Euzov pic.twitter.com/NCNPqRUGde
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 11, 2024
He also knows positive results can do for a side. In the five rounds of the Ranji Trophy this season, owing to injuries and other off-field instability, Delhi used as many as 24 players with just one win to show for it. Even in the SMAT, where teams mostly stick to a settled combination, they have used 21 players in eight matches. Yet, they have got the desired results.
“We have been performing in red-ball cricket as well, but consistency has been lacking. Here everyone is stepping up. And when the team is winning, nobody is pointing fingers at you and the results are improving confidence. When you lose, there are so many changes and as a player, you don’t get another chance to show what you are capable of. Here, we are a settled group. We have a young set of players and once they find their feet, we can dominate the circuit for at least 3-4 years,” Himmat adds.
But for now it is Madhya Pradesh that awaits them. Ahead of their semifinal showdown, Delhi do have a cause of concern with their lead spinner Suyash Sharma down with fever. But they would hope they have enough arsenal in their ranks to overcome a strong opposition.
Battle of the stars
The bigger showdown of the day will be in the morning when a star-studded Mumbai team takes on Baroda at 11am. Both teams, billed as title contenders, are up against each other thanks to the peculiar seedings for the knockout phase. So far in the tournament, Baroda have punched above their weight and the question is whether they have it in them to stop Mumbai, who have plenty of firepower in their batting.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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