Rajasthan, along with Jharkhand, has already secured qualification from Group D.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
As the group stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 domestic competition enters its home stretch, 10 teams remain in contention for the four Super League spots up for grabs ahead of the final round on Monday.
Defending champion Mumbai and Andhra from Group A, along with Jharkhand and Rajasthan from Group D, have already secured their spots in the eight-team Super League phase, which begins on Friday in Pune.
Mumbai, along with Andhra, has advanced from Group A.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA
Group B wide open
The competition in Group B is wide open, with as many as six teams in the race for a top-two finish in Kolkata. Table-topper Hyderabad, the only team with five wins in the group, is primed to qualify for the next round as it faces a struggling Chandigarh side, which has won just two of its six matches and sits seventh on the eight-team table.
The Rajat Patidar-led Madhya Pradesh and Goa, placed second and third with four wins each, will fight it out for the remaining spot when they face off against Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra, respectively.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir, with three wins each, only have a slim chance of sneaking through to the next round.
Meanwhile, Bihar, the only win-less team in the Elite division after six matches, will hope to avoid relegation, along with Himachal Pradesh, Services and Tripura, who all have just one win apiece.
The scenario in Group C, taking place in Hyderabad, is more straightforward. Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana and Bengal are all tied on four points each. With Haryana locking horns with Bengal, and Punjab facing Gujarat later in the day, it sets up a tantalising final-round shootout for the top two spots. However, with swashbuckling India opener Abhishek Sharma likely to miss the match, his absence could hurt Punjab when it matters the most.
Punjab will miss the services of Abhishek.
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. Giri
For Mumbai and Andhra, it will be more about warming up for the next round as they face Vidarbha and Odisha, respectively, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here.
With five wins each, they will only compete for the pole position in Group A. Kerala, after a timid batting performance in a must-win match against Andhra on Saturday, will hope to bow out on a high, though it will be without captain Sanju Samson, who has left for national duty.
Ishan Kishan’s Jharkhand and Rajasthan, dominant and unbeaten in the competition so far, will be on a collision course in the final round as they face off against each other in Ahmedabad.
Tamil Nadu is going through a horrid SMAT campaign.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI
That three-time champion Tamil Nadu, placed seventh in Group D, will only be fighting to avoid finishing last, is a poignant reminder of the vagaries of professional sport and the importance of consistency even in the constant flux of T20 cricket.
Published – December 07, 2025 08:56 pm IST