A spectacular all-round performance from S Mohd Ali propelled Tamil Nadu to a commanding 56-run victory against Uttar Pradesh in the final of the Men's U-23 State A Trophy Elite Tournament. The match was held at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
Tamil Nadu Builds a Competitive Total
After being asked to bat first, Tamil Nadu posted a challenging total of 297 runs in 49.3 overs. Their innings was anchored by two key partnerships. The first was a 65-run stand for the second wicket between SR Athish and Boopathi Vaishna Kumar. Athish played a fluent knock, scoring 53 runs off just 38 deliveries, hitting seven fours and two sixes.
The foundation was truly set by the match-defining fourth-wicket partnership. S Mohd Ali and Manav Parakh added 102 crucial runs, with both batsmen contributing identical scores of 57. For Uttar Pradesh, the bowling honours were shared by pacer Vijay Kumar (2/57) and all-rounder Prashant Veer, who picked up three important wickets for 30 runs.
UP's Chase Derailed by Early Collapse and Ali's Brilliance
Uttar Pradesh's reply got off to a disastrous start, crumbling to 17 for 3 within six overs. Openers Adarsh Singh and Swastik fell to medium pacer G Govinth, while Chaitanya Parashar was run out. Captain Sameer Rizvi (41) and Ali Zafir tried to rebuild with a 39-run partnership, but their dismissals triggered another collapse.
This is where S Mohd Ali turned the game with his off-spin. He dismissed Rizvi for his first wicket and then proceeded to rip through the middle and lower order. At 105 for 6, UP seemed down and out.
A Valiant Fightback Falls Short
However, Prashant Veer staged a magnificent counter-attack to keep UP's hopes alive. He forged a fighting 101-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Kartik Yadav. Veer smashed 87 runs off 65 balls, an innings laced with seven boundaries and five sixes.
The resistance finally ended when Veer was caught off the bowling of Mohd Ali. From 216 for 8, UP's innings folded for 241. Mohd Ali finished with a superb five-wicket haul for 46 runs, completing a match-winning double of 57 runs and 5 wickets to rightly earn the Player of the Match award.
Post-Match Reflections and Series Honours
Despite the loss, Uttar Pradesh showed significant improvement this season. After failing to qualify for the knockouts last year, the team coached by Gyanendra Pandey reached the final and finished as runners-up. Coach Pandey acknowledged that the top-order failure cost them the title, while praising Prashant Veer's consistent efforts.
Prashant Veer was adjudged the Man of the Series for his outstanding all-round contributions throughout the tournament. His performance in the final, with both bat and ball, epitomized his value to the UP side.
Brief Scores:
Tamil Nadu: 297 all out in 49.3 overs (SR Athish 53, S Mohd Ali 57, Manav Parakh 57, Boopathi Vaishna Kumar 37; Prashant Veer 3/30, Vijay Kumar 2/57).
Uttar Pradesh: 241 all out in 45.4 overs (Prashant Veer 87, Sameer Rizvi 41, Kartik Yadav 29*; S Mohd Ali 5/46, G Govinth 2/44).
