Venkatesh Iyer Shines with 70 Runs in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Match
Iyer's Stellar Performance Leads Madhya Pradesh to Victory
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 16: Venkatesh Iyer delivered an outstanding performance for Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite 2025, scoring a pivotal 70 runs off 43 deliveries against Punjab. His efforts propelled his team to a formidable first-innings total of 225/8 at the DY Patil Academy in Ambi, Pune.
Opening the batting alongside Harsh Gawali, Madhya Pradesh faced an early challenge as Gawali was dismissed in the third over after contributing just seven runs off ten balls. Iyer quickly took charge, becoming the backbone of the innings. While his teammates played their shots, Iyer focused on rotating the strike, especially against Punjab's spin bowlers.
In the initial stages, he accumulated runs through quick singles and well-timed boundaries, maintaining the momentum post-powerplay. However, the team lost Harpreet Singh Bhatia shortly after the powerplay, as he was out for 27 runs off 15 balls, leaving Madhya Pradesh at 60/1 in 6.3 overs.
Rajat Patidar added a brisk 20 runs off 11 balls before falling in the 10th over, with Madhya Pradesh's score at 93/3.
The highlight of Iyer's innings came after the tenth over when he accelerated his scoring and took control of the match. He aggressively targeted Punjab's medium-pacers, disrupting their bowling strategy.
His strike rate, initially hovering around 130-140, surged past 160 as he executed powerful shots. During the middle and death overs, he capitalized on the short boundaries, showcasing why he is regarded as one of India's most formidable T20 all-rounders.
Iyer was eventually dismissed in the 17th over after scoring 70 runs off 43 balls, but by that time, Madhya Pradesh had already reached 168/5 in 17 overs. Aniket Verma (31 runs off 16 balls, including three sixes) and Mangesh Yadav (28 runs off 12 balls, with four fours and one six) contributed significantly, helping Madhya Pradesh finish with a total of 225/8 in their 20 overs.