Tripura Stuns Delhi in SMAT, 12-Run Thriller
Tripura Stuns Delhi in SMAT, 12-Run Thriller
Tripura pull off a dramatic 12-run win over Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with Indrajit Debnath sealing the victory in the final over and Manisankar Murasingh delivering a crucial all-round display.
Tripura produced a stunning 12-run victory over Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group-D fourth-round clash, with Indrajit Debnath holding his nerve to defend 20 off the last over. Tripura posted 157/5 on the back of a late surge from Manisankar Murasingh and Sentu Sarkar, helping them clinch a memorable win on the road.
Murasingh, who also contributed an all-round effort, remained upbeat about the result. In red-ball cricket last season, Tripura had taken the first-innings lead against Bengal, and he believes the momentum from that display carried into this T20 win. “In red-ball cricket (2025-26 Ranji Trophy), we took the first-innings lead against Bengal. That gave us a big momentum. And now in T20 cricket, we’ve won against Delhi, which is a big thing for Tripura cricket. Hopefully, in the upcoming games, our opponents might get a bit nervous knowing that we are ready (to win),” he said.
The final overs were a test of nerves for Delhi as Debnath bowled with precision, denying the chase a late flourish. He defended the 20-run target in the last over, earning plaudits from teammates and fans alike.
Reflecting on his performance, Murasingh explained the approach with the bat and ball. “I took time during my innings because the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat. I tried to hit only in the last over (bowled by Ayush Badoni). While bowling, I stuck to back-of-a-length and tried to swing it initially.” The win also underscored the challenges Tripura faces back home, where poor weather and limited facilities complicate preparation.
Murasingh added that preparing for such competitions requires outside exposure. “If we want to prepare, we need to go outside. So, that’s a big challenge for us. We don’t have grounds like here in Gujarat. We didn’t have a camp before the tournament. We just went to Baroda and played three matches against them. We sorted out our combination and stuff.” The result marks a historic scalp for Tripura, even as Delhi’s star-studded lineup faced a rare setback on a slow pitch that exposed chinks in the chase, finishing at 145/8.
Cover image source: SMAT | Padikkal’s pyrotechnics propels Karnataka to a massive win over Tamil Nadu 🔗
