3 big takeaways from SMAT 2024-25 ft. Ajinkya Rahane 2.0
Mumbai beat Madhya Pradesh by five wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25 final at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, December 15. Sent into bat, MP put up 174-8 on the board in their 20 overs. Mumbai chased down the target in 17.5 overs.
Shardul Thakur and Royston Dias picked up two wickets each for Mumbai, while three other bowlers chipped in with one scalp each. Madhya Pradesh were in massive trouble at 86-5 at the start of the 13th over. Skipper Rajat Patidar, however, slammed 81* off 40 balls, hitting six fours and as many sixes.
In the chase, Mumbai lost opener Prithvi Shaw for 10 and skipper Shreyas Iyer for 16. However, Ajinkya Rahane (37 off 30) and Suryakumar Yadav (48 off 35) lifted the chasing side. Suryansh Shedge then put the finishing touches with a stunning cameo of 36*, which came off just 15 balls.
Following the conclusion of SMAT 2024-25, we take a look at three big takeaways from the T20 competition.
#1 Ajinkya Rahane’s stunning reinvention as a T20 batter
Veteran cricketer Rahane's reinvention as a T20 batter was perhaps the biggest story of SMAT 2024-25. His Test days seem all but over and he did not help his cause with some rather underwhelming performances in the first half of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, managing only 174 runs in seven innings.
Looking at his T20 career, the 36-year-old had a disappointing IPL 2024 season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), scoring only 242 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.17 and a strike rate of 123.47. Having been released ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, there was a strong feeling that he might go unsold.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) purchased him for a base price of ₹1.5 crore. Looking at how Rahane has batted in SMAT 2024-25, KKR might have made a shrewd choice. The right-handed batter was in a zone of his own in the T20 tournament, clobbering 469 runs in eight innings at an average of 58.62 and a strike rate of 164.56.
Rahane has never been known as a whirlwind batter and has an overall T20 strike rate of 123.88. However, he was a different batter in SMAT 2024-25. The right-hander seemed to have worked on his game and ended up clubbing 46 fours and 19 sixes. Rahane 2.0 augurs well for KKR.
#2 Rajat Patidar knocking on the doors of the T20I side
Along with Rahane, Madhya Pradesh captain Patidar was also among the standout players in SMAT 2024-25. The 31-year-old was the second-leading run-getter in the tournament, smashing 428 runs in nine innings at an average of 61.14 and an exceptional strike rate of 186.09.
Patidar hit five half-centuries in SMAT 2024-25. Before his 40-ball 81* in the final against Mumbai in Bengaluru, he struck 66* off 29 against Delhi in the second semifinal. At the start of the tournament, the MP captain struck three consecutive 50-plus scores against Meghalaya, Punjab and Bengal respectively.
The explosive right-handed batter has emerged as one of the contenders to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. At the same time, he is also knocking on the doors of India's T20I squad. Patidar has played three Tests and one ODI for India. With an average of 38.48 and a strike rate of 158.18 from 71 T20 innings, a T20I cap shouldn't be far away for Patidar.
#3 Watch out for scintillating Suryansh Shedge
Batting all-rounder Shedge was sensational with his sparkling cameos for Mumbai in SMAT 2024-25. The 21-year-old smacked 131 runs in nine innings at an average of 43.67 and a spectacular strike rate of 251.92. The youngster struck seven fours and 13 sixes in the tournament.
Shedge was Player of the Match in the final for 36* off 15 balls. He had also clubbed 36* off 12 against Vidarbha in the quarterfinal in Alur, a dazzling knock that featured four sixes. Before that, the right-handed batter also slammed 30* off just eight balls against Andhra. Further, the youngster can chip in with the ball and pick up crucial wickets in SMAT 2024-25.
Shedge was purchased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the IPL 2025 mega auction for a base price of ₹30 lakh. These are still very early days in his career, but the signs are hugely promising. It would be fair to say that he is one player to watch out for in T20s in the near future.