In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 semi-finals, Hardik Pandya's Baroda will face Ajinkya Rahane's Mumbai while Ayush Badoni's Delhi will go against Rajat Patidar's Madhya Pradesh to clinch the Premier T20 title of the Indian Domestic circuit. 

Hardik and Meriwala powered Baroda to the semi-final in the 1st QF

In the first quarter-final, Hardik and Krunal Pandya's Baroda defeated Mohammed Shami and Shahbaz Ahmed's Bengal by 41 runs to enter the semis. Baroda scored 172/7 in the first inning, all thanks to Shashwat Rawat's 40 from 26 balls in the opening and a late flourish from Shivalik Sharma (24 from 17) and Vishnu Solanki (16 from 7). Hardik could only score 10 from 11 balls.

Mohammed Shami took wickets but went for 43 in his full quota of 4 overs. 

In reply, Bengal were hit by early wickets as Lukman Meriwala struck early for Baroda. Except for Shahbaz Ahmed's 55 from 36 balls and 29 off 18 balls from Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, none contributed that much with the bat for Bengal and they fell short of the target by 41 runs. Hardik Pandya (3/27) and Lukman Meriwala (3/17) were the stars of the show for Baroda.

Read Also | Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Baroda and MP book place into the semis

Anuj Rawat's impressive 73 helped Delhi win against UP

In the second quarter-final, Delhi faced a formidable Uttar Pradesh, led by Bhuvnewshwar Kumar. Delhi scored 193/3 in the first inning and UP were bundled out for 174 in the second inning. Delhi's keeper-batter Anuj Rawat played an unbeaten inning of 73 from 33 balls, which included 7 fours and 5 huge sixes. Bhuvneshwar Kumar went wicketless and went for 34 in his four overs.

UP could not get going in the second inning as Ishant Sharma and Suyash Sharma provided early breakthroughs. Ishant Sharma returned with a bowling figure of 11/1 in his three overs, while Suyash Sharma took 2/36. Prince Yadav was expensive with the ball but took three wickets. 

For UP, Priyam Garg scored 54 from 34 balls while Nitish Rana could not score 2 from 3 balls and was dismissed by Delhi captain Ayush Badoni.

Venkatesh Iyer's all-round skill helped MP reach the semi-final after 14 years

Venkatesh Iyer and Rajat Patidar's Madhya Pradesh qualified for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-finals after a gap of 14 years as they chased down Suarasthra's 174-run target with four balls to go. 

Chirag Jani's outstanding unbeaten 80 from 45 balls helped Saurashtra reach 173/7 in the first inning. Venkatesh Iyer took 23/2 in his three overs while Avesh Khan went for 51/2 in his full quota of four overs.  

In reply, Arpit Gaud gave the perfect start to MP's inning with a 42 from 29 balls while Subhrangsu Senapati (24), and Rajat Patidar (28 from 18) chipped in. But it was the steady inning from Venkatesh Iyer (unbeaten 38 from 33) and pinch-hitting by Harpreet Singh Bhatia (unbeaten 22 from 9 balls) that helped them go over the line with 6 wickets in hands.

Rahane and Shaw's heroic helped Mumbai chase Vidarbha's 222 run-target

In the fourth quarter-final, Mumbai chased down Vidarbha's 222-run target to reach the semi-finals. Atharva Taide's 66 from 41 balls, Wankheded's 51 from 33 and Shubham Dubey's 43 from 19 balls helped Vidarbha 221/6 in the first inning. Shardul Thakur was wicket-less and went for 41 in his 3 overs.

Prithvi Shaw (49 from 26), and Ajinkya Rahane (84 from 45) provided an 83-run opening partnership that laid the foundation for Shivam Dube (37 from 22) and Suryansh Shedge (36 from 12) to finish things off for them. Eventually, they chased down the target with four balls to go with six wickets in hands.

Suryansh Shedge is at it again 🔥

Smashes 4⃣,6⃣,6⃣,6⃣, as Mumbai take 24 off the crucial 17th over!#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/6VsAOYwAI8 pic.twitter.com/bplBTilNKp

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 11, 2024

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 Semi-final fixtures

 Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024

1st Semi-Final:

• Teams: Baroda vs Mumbai
• Venue: Bengaluru
• Time: 11:00 AM IST 

2nd Semi-Final (D/N):

• Teams: Madhya Pradesh vs Delhi
• Venue: Bengaluru
• Time: 4:30 PM IST 

Where to watch the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 Semi-finals?

Fans can watch the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 Semi-finals live on Jio Cinema App and Website for free. Matches will be telecasted on Sports18 Channels as well. 

Rajat Patidar, who led RCB to victory in the IPL 2025, scored a brilliant century in the ongoing Duleep Trophy match between Central Zone and East Zone.

Central Zone is facing North-East Zone in the second quarter final match of Duleep Trophy 2025. In this match, North-East won the toss and decided to bowl first. After this, Central Zone started the innings but the first wicket fell early but then the team captain Rajat Patidar along with Danish Malewar took control of the innings and brought the team to a strong position.

Also Read: Most Sixes for India in T20Is

Patidar hit a 80-ball century

Leading from the front, Patidar scored his 14th first-class century in style, reaching the three-figure mark in just 80 balls. He was eventually dismissed for 125, an innings that included 18 fours and two sixes. His masterclass was the cornerstone of Central Zone's commanding performance against North East Zone, an innings that also featured a century from teammate Danish Malewar.

Dhruv Jurel rules out

Patidar took over as Central Zone's captain after wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel was ruled out of the quarter-final due to a groin niggle.North East Zone won the toss and elected to field. They dismissed CZONE opener Akash Choudhary cheaply in the third over.

However, Danish Malewar and Aryan Juyal steadied the ship with a solid partnership for the second wicket.

Patidar, Malewar break North East Zone's bowling attack

Despite Juyal retiring hurt on 60 runs, Patidar and Malewar maintained Central Zone's dominance over North East Zone's weakened bowling attack. While Malewar took a more cautious approach, Patidar went all out against the opposition bowlers. Central Zone were sitting pretty at 347/1 when Patidar was dismissed by Pheiroijam Jotin. He departed for a 96-ball 125, a knock laced with 21 fours and 3 sixes.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

Patidar's first-class performance

Patidar bounced back in red-ball cricket after a decent 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He ended Royal Challengers Bengaluru's wait for an IPL title, leading them to the coveted trophy. With the bat, he scored 312 runs at a strike rate of 143.77. Coming to his First-Class numbers, Patidar has slammed over 4,800 runs from 69 matches at an average of 43-plus. He owns 14 tons and 24 half-centuries.

Cricket today is almost entirely a batsman's game. Flat pitches, small boundaries and bigger bats have tilted the game heavily in favor of the batsmen. The bowlers have got nowhere to hide and, the advent of T20s, where the batsmen go after them from the first ball itself have made it even more difficult.

The T20 format has brought about a revolution where the bowlers are more than grateful to keep the run rate down, rather than to take wickets. India made a wonderful foray into the shortest format of the game, winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Over the years India is blessed to have got some big hitters in their line up who are capable of clearing any boundary in the world.

In this article we will take a look at those batters with most sixes for India in T20Is.

Most Sixes for India in T20Is

5. Hardik Pandya | 95

Hardik Pandya debuted in T20I cricket in 2016 and swiftly established himself as a key member of India's preferred playing eleven, serving as a seam-bowling all-rounder. His T20I career reached its peak in 2024, marked by outstanding all-round performances during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, helping India clinch the title. In terms of batting, Pandya has struck 95 sixes across 90 T20I innings.

Pandya has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for this year's Asia Cup. If Pandya manages to hit five more maximums in the Asia Cup, then he will go on to surpass KL Rahul's tally of 99 sixes in the shortest format. This will see the all-rounder become the Indian player with the fourth-most sixes in T20Is.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

4. KL Rahul | 99

KL Rahul, who was once a consistent member of the T20I squad now finds himself out of favour in the T20I setup. Between 2016 and 2022, he played in 72 T20I matches and mostly batted in the top three.

He hit 99 sixes in 68 T20I innings. Following the T20 World Cup 2022, he was excluded from the shortest format due to his outdated approach to T20 cricket, as he did not improve his intent and strike rate.

3. Virat Kohli | 124

The Run Machine Virat Kohli has hit 124 sixes in 117 T20I innings for India. He is one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, with an average of 48.69. He made his T20I debut for India in 2010 and since then he has been a cornerstone of India's batting. Kohli also recorded 4,188 runs in T20I format, which included 38 fifties. 

“King Kohli” was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. After winning the trophy, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. 

2. Suryakumar Yadav | 146*

Yet another batsman who has made six-hitting look extremely easy is India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite making his T20I debut in March 2021 with a match against England, the elegant middle-order batter has already launched 146 maximums in just 79 innings for Team India.

Having the ability to hit sixes at all parts of the ground with relative ease makes Yadav, a.k.a SKY, draw a comparison with South Africa’s great AB De Villiers who was called Mr. 360 in cricket. His centuries have also come against big teams like England, South Africa, and New Zealand apart from Sri Lanka. He has hit the most number of T20I sixes against West Indies (35).  

1. Rohit Sharma | 205

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes for India in T20Is, having hit 205 sixes in 159 games he played. He made his debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa. However, he failed to cement his place in the team. The turnaround came in the 2013 Champions Trophy when MS Dhoni promoted him up the order to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

The mighty Australians have been Rohit's favourite opponent in this format against whom he has hit 29 sixes in 23 matches with Bangladesh being the second, conceding 22 sixes off his willow. Fondly called the “Hitman”, Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from T20Is after delivering the 2024 T20 World Cup title for India.   

Veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane, on Thursday, has resigned from the captaincy ahead of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. In a message on social media, Rahane made it clear that this is the time when the team should get a chance to develop new leadership.

Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour.

With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader, and hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role.

I remain fully committed to giving my best…

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) August 21, 2025

Also Read: BCCI extends Ajit Agarkar's contract as Chairman of Selectors till June 2026

'I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader'

Rahane posted on his social media account that he would not continue as Mumbai captain in Ranji Trophy but would continue to represent the side as a player.

“Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour. With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader, and hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with @MumbaiCricAssoc to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season,” Rahane wrote on his X account.

Mumbai Team under Rahane's captaincy

Under Rahane's captaincy, Mumbai achieved stability and success in domestic cricket. Under his leadership, Mumbai ended a seven-year drought by winning the Ranji Trophy in 2023–24. Apart from this, he also led the team to victory in the Irani Cup in 2024-25 and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022-23. These victories took his captaincy to new heights.

Despite giving up captaincy, the 37-year-old, who has scored over 14,000 runs in 201 first-class matches, made it clear that he is not retiring. He will continue to represent Mumbai as a batsman in all formats.

Rahane said that he will work for the team as a batsman with full enthusiasm and commitment. His main goal is to bring success to the team and help the new captain in his development.

Also Read: Five things from Asia Cup team announcement press conference

Who will be the new captain?

India allrounder Shardul Thakur will lead the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team for forthcoming season.

Thakur leading Mumbai was always on the cards especially after he was appointed as West Zone captain for Duleep Trophy. It is understood that the Mumbai senior selection committee spoke to Rahane before the season and had taken his feedback about future captaincy candidates.

Thakur has been playing a vital role in Mumbai’s Ranji success over the past few years. In addition to wickets, he has also bailed out Mumbai with lower-order runs. He also scored 505 runs for Mumbai last season where he slammed one hundred. He also took 35 wickets in nine matches.

Asia Cup 2025 will be held in UAE from 9 to 28 September. Due to T20 World Cup 2026, this time Asia Cup will also be organized in T20 format. India is being seen as the biggest contender in the Asia Cup this time.

Over the years, there have been many bowlers who have made a significant impact for their sides in the Asia Cup and are even featured in the list of highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history. Players like Muthiah Muralidaran, Lasith Malinga and many more are certified legends for their sides, and they fully deserve the status after their brilliant bowling performances over the years.

With the Asia Cup 2025 right around the corner, let's have a look at the highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history.

Also Read: Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | ODI Format

1. Muthiah Muralidaran

Muthiah Muralidaran is considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. He has picked up 30 wickets in 24 Asia Cup matches at an economy of 3.75 and an average of 28.83. He was part of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup titles wins in 1997, 2004 and 2008.

2. Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga is second on the list of best bowlers in Asia Cup history. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest pacers, especially in white-ball cricket. Malinga played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2018 and took 29 wickets at an economy of 4.65 and an average of 20.55. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 and 2014 editions and won the Asia Cup in 2004 and 2014.

3. Ajantha Mendis

Former Sri Lanka mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is third on the list. Mendis took 26 wickets in just 8 matches from 2008 to 2014 at an economy of 3.98 and an average of 10.42. He was the highest wicket-taker at the 2008 edition and helped Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup titles in 2008 and 2014.

4. Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal is the only non-Sri Lankan bowler in the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in Asia Cup history. Ajmal took 25 wickets in 12 matches between 2008 and 2014 at an average of 19.25 and an economy rate of 4.21. He was part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup-winning team in 2012.

5. Ravindra Jadeja

India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja completes the top 5 list of the bowlers with most wickets in the Asia Cup. He played in the 2010 to 2023 editions of the Asia Cup so far and took 25 wickets at an average of 26.28 and an economy rate of 4.34. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 date announced; BCCI yet to confirm participation against Pakistan

Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | T20 Format

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The top wicket-taker in Asia Cup T20 history is India’s pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has scalped 13 wickets in six matches at an impressive average of 9.46. The 35-year-old, who is currently not part of India’s squad, is also known for his skillful death and new ball bowling.

Bhuvi has an excellent economy rate of only 5.34 and is the only bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the shorter edition of the tournament. The right-arm medium pacer’s best figures of 5/4 — also his T20I best, came against Afghanistan in the 2022 edition of the tournament.

2. Amjad Javed

The second-highest wicket-taker of this list is Amjad Javed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who has featured only in the 2016 edition of the tournament, where he led the team. In the only edition he played in this format, he has taken 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.08.

The 45-year-old has a relatively higher economy rate of 7.34 as compared to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Javed’s best bowling figures in an innings came against Sri Lanka during the inaugural edition of the T20I format of the Asia Cup. The right-arm pacer took three wickets for 25 runs to record his best figures in the tournament.

3. Mohammad Naveed

The third-highest wicket-taker in the event’s history is also the UAE’s Mohammad Naveed, with 11 wickets to his name in seven matches. Like Amjad Javed, he made only one appearance during the 2016 Asia Cup, where his team advanced after playing qualifying rounds.

The 38-year-old has an excellent average of 13.18 with a reasonable economy rate of 5.24. Naveed’s best bowling figures of 3-14 came against Hong Kong in 2016. With his bowling performance, the UAE restricted Hong Kong to 146-7 in their 20 overs. In reply, the UAE successfully chased down the total and won by nine wickets.

4. Rashid Khan

Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan has taken 161 wickets in just 96 T20Is for Afghanistan and is the leading wicket taker in T20 cricket. However, he is unlikely to be fourth on the list by his standards. He has so far taken 11 wickets despite playing eight matches, a number higher than all the top three bowlers.

The leg-spinner has an average of 18.36 and boasts a slightly higher economy rate of 6.51. His best figures of 3-22 came against Bangladesh in 2022, resulting in a thrilling victory over the Tigers.

5. Hardik Pandya

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is fifth on the list. The right-arm pacer has scalped 11 wickets in eight matches so far, with an average of 18.81 and the highest economy rate of (7.01) among the top five bowlers.

Notably, his best figures of 3-8 against arch-rivals Pakistan during the 2016 edition. Thanks to Hardik Pandya’s bowling, India bundled out Pakistan for a modest total of 83 and successfully chased it down in 15.3 overs.

The duck - dismissal without scoring a single run, is a humiliation that haunts all cricketers, but it’s become an almost expected feature for the names that appear here. Some were genuine bowling greats, with match-winning spells and legendary careers with the ball. But when it came to contributing runs, they routinely exited without troubling the scorers.

In this article, we will take a look at most ducks by an Indian in Tests.

Also Read: Most International Wickets for India (Pacers)

Most Ducks by an Indian in Tests

1. Ishant Sharma | 34

Ishant Sharma tops our list by securing 34 ducks with no runs, and his name appears among the Indian players who have scored the most ducks in Test cricket. Ishant Sharma was known for his lion-hearted spells and his remarkable longevity as a fast bowler. With the bat, however, his long limbs and hesitant stroke play made for awkward viewing.

Ishant's tally of 34 ducks in just 142 innings shows just how frequently he was dismissed for zero. In the 102 matches that Sharma has played for India, he has managed to score a total of just 751 runs at an average close to 7.5.

2. Zaheer Khan | 29

Zaheer Khan was one of India’s most dependable fast bowlers in the 2000s and early 2010s, especially overseas. A left-arm swing bowler capable of troubling the best batsmen, his contributions with the ball were immense.

During his career that lasted from 2000 to 2014, Zaheer Khan, however played a total of 1231 runs at an average of 11.95 and was dismissed on 29 occasions without scoring any runs.

3. Jasprit Bumrah | 28

Jasprit Bumrah might be the spearhead of India’s bowling attack, but his form with the bat is not so well. In the previous ENG vs IND Test series, Bumrah recorded his sixth duck in seven innings. Since the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in December 2024, Bumrah’s scores read: 0, 0, 22, 0, 0, 0, 0.

Bumrah played a total of 341 runs at an average of 6.55 and was dismissed on 28 occasions without scoring any runs.

4. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar | 23

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar was ranked as the worst batsman in the history of Test cricket. He registered 23 ducks from 80 innings, averaging one duck every four innings.

But if one were to form a eleven of No 11s who have played Test cricket, Chandrasekhar would be the No 11 in this team as well. Chandra played 58 Tests and took 242 wickets, an outstanding match-winning bowler for India. But in these 58 Tests he scored only 167 runs. That meant he took more wickets than he scored runs. His Test batting average was 4.07.

Also Read: Most Test wickets by pacers in away tests

Bishan Singh Bedi | 20

Bishen Singh Bedi is 5th on the list with 20 ducks during his illustrous test career that saw many twists and turns. Not known much as a batsman, he was a tailender who didn’t know much about batting. But however he ranks as one of India’s best spinners who bowled with a big heart and known for his deceiving flighted balls.

During his career that lasted from 1964 to 1979, Bedi played a total of only 167 runs at an average of 4.07 and was dismissed on 20 occasions without scoring any runs.