[Watch] KKR’s ₹23.75 crore purchase picks up 2 wickets in 1 over in SMAT 2024 semifinal between Delhi and MP

Venkatesh Iyer, the priciest acquisition for IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders in the recent auction, displayed his bowling prowess for Madhya Pradesh by claiming two crucial wickets in an over during their semi-final match against Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. The game is being played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The right-arm medium pacer came into the attack in the 12th over and was greeted with a maximum by Delhi captain Ayush Badoni. However, Iyer bounced back, dismissing Badoni on the very next ball. The right-handed batter attempted another big shot but was caught at backward square leg for 19.

On the fourth delivery of the same over, Iyer dismissed Himmat Singh, who attempted a big hit but mistimed it completely, resulting in a catch at long-on for 15.

Here’s a video of both the dismissals by Venkatesh Iyer:

The 29-year-old bowled two overs in the match, taking two wickets while giving away only 12 runs.

---

Anuj Rawat's 33* helps Delhi post 146 runs on the board

Madhya Pradesh won the toss and chose to bowl first. Tripuresh Singh gave them an early breakthrough by dismissing Yash Dhull for 11. Priyansh Arya (29 off 21), Ayush Badoni (19 off 16), and Himmat Singh (15 off 14) got starts but couldn't convert them into big scores.

Mayank Rawat contributed 24 off 21 balls, while Anuj Rawat remained unbeaten on 33 off 24 balls, hitting three boundaries and one maximum, helping Delhi finish at 146/5 in their 20 overs.

In response, Ishant Sharma made an impact right away for Delhi, dismissing Arpit Gaud for a golden duck on the first ball. The seasoned pacer then removed Subhranshu Senapati for seven, claiming his second wicket.

At the time of writing, Madhya Pradesh were 59/3 after eight overs, with Rajat Patidar (4) and Harpreet Singh Bhatia (16) at the crease, requiring 88 runs to win from 12 overs.

​