A solitary run separated the sides in the 2019/20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) final when Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu to clinch their maiden title. A year later, Tamil Nadu got even as Dinesh Karthik led them to title glory in 2020/21 – their second title.
The two southern giants now clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday for the final of the 2021/22 edition. One of them will go on to be the first team to register three titles.
For Tamil Nadu, it is an opportunity to successfully defend their title and avenge the heartbreak of 2019/20. For Karnataka, it is about adding another silverware in their illustrious trophy cabinet.
Karnataka’s road to the final
- Beat Mumbai by nine runs
- Beat Chhattisgarh by four wickets
- Beat Services by 33 runs
- Beat Baroda by seven wickets
- Lost to Bengal by 12 balls remaining
- Pre QF: Beat Saurashtra by two wickets
- QF: Tied with Bengal (won in Super Over)
- SF: Beat Vidarbha by four runs
Karnataka top players in SMAT 2021/22
- Manish Pandey: M 8 | R 259 | Ave 32.4 | SR 108.4
- Karun Nair: M 8 | R 223 | Ave 37.2 | SR 131.6
- K.C. Cariappa: M 8 | W 10 | Ave 18 | Econ 5.6
- Vijaykumar Vyshak: M 6 | W 7 | Ave 24.3 | Econ 7.7
- MB Darshan: M 3 | W 6 | Ave 15.8 | Econ 8.6
Karnataka opener Rohan Kadam will also hold key to their batting. He has scores of 33, 30 and 87 in the tournament, the last being off 56 balls in the semi-final against Vidarbha.
Seniors like Nair and Pandey are among the runs. Their bowling has a good blend of experience and youth. The likes of Vyshak, Cariappa, Darshan and Jagadeesha Suchith will hold the key with the ball.
Karnataka likely XI
Rohan Kadam, Manish Pandey (c), Abhinav Manohar, Karun Nair, Aniruddha Joshi, B.R. Sharath (wk), Jagadeesha Suchith, Vijaykumar Vyshak, M.B. Darshan, K.C. Cariappa, Vidyadhar Patil
Tamil Nadu’s road to the final
- Beat Maharashtra by 12 runs
- Beat Odisha by 1 run
- Beat Puducherry by eight wickets
- Lost to Goa by seven wickets
- Beat Punjab by seven wickets
- QF: Beat Kerala by five wickets
- SF: Beat Hyderabad by eight wickets
Tamil Nadu top players in SMAT 2021/22
- Vijay Shankar: M 5 | R 181 | Ave 90.5 | SR 139.2
- C. Hari Nishaanth: M 7 | R 177 | Ave 29.5 | SR 130.1
- P. Sarvana Kumar: M 3 | W 7 | Ave 21 | Econ 7.7
- M. Mohammed: M 7 | W 7 | Ave 24.3 | Econ 7.7
- R. Sai Kishore: M 7 | W 7 | Ave 26 | Econ 6.5
Different Tamil Nadu cricketers have stood up throughout the tournament. Captain Vijay Shankar tops their run charts, while Shahrukh Khan has found his hitting form. Though T. Natarajan has been missed, the bowlers have stood up at critical junctures.
Sai Kishore has a career T20 economy of 5.5. From being the new-ball specialist in the last edition to now being the designated death bowler, the left-arm spinner looks like a brilliant prospect for the future.
Tamil Nadu likely XI
Hari Nishaanth, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Sai Sudarshan, Vijay Shankar (c), Shahrukh Khan, Sanjay Yadav, Sandeep Warrier, M. Mohammed, P. Saravana Kumar, R. Sai Kishore, Murugan Ashwin
Fantasy XI
Manish Pandey (c), Vijay Shankar (vc), N. Jagadeesan (wk), Karun Nair, Jagadeesha Suchith, Rohan Kadam, K.C. Cariappa, M.B. Darshan, P. Sarvana Kumar, R. Sai Kishore, M. Mohammed