Hyderabad defeat J&K by 4 wickets in SMAT clash

Srinagar, Dec 4: Jammu & Kashmir’s batting woes continue to deepen in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite as they were shot out for a modest 112 in 19.3 overs, eventually losing to Hyderabad by four wickets on Thursday.

After being put in to bat, J&K failed to stitch substantial partnerships, with only skipper Shubham Khajuria showing some resistance. The captain top-scored with 35 off 33 balls, but the rest of the lineup crumbled around him.

Opener Qamran Iqbal, whose inconsistency at the top continues to hurt J&K, fell early for just 2. Yawer Hassan showed promise with a brisk 13 off 6 balls but could not carry on.

Given an opportunity in the XI, Kawal Preet Singh contributed a useful 21 off 17 but, like many others, failed to convert his start into a meaningful score, adding to J&K’s long-standing issue of middle-order fragility.

Promoted up the order, Abid Mushtaq once again disappointed, managing only 5. His repeated failures with the bat are becoming a major concern for the side, specially with the lower middle order lacking stability.

With Khanya Wadhawan not playing today, Abdul Samad took over wicketkeeping duties, but his batting too did not inspire confidence. The explosive right-hander struggled to break free and departed for just 6 runs.

Nasir Lone tried to stabilise the innings with 17 off 23 balls but couldn’t push the scoring rate at a crucial stage. The tail offered little, with Yudhvir Singh and Auqib Nabi, both capable lower-order hitters, failing once again to provide any meaningful contribution. Their lack of runs in the tournament so far has further compounded J&K’s finishing troubles.

Chasing 113, Hyderabad rode on Tanay Thyagarajan’s quickfire 50 off 33 and Pragnay Reddy’s unbeaten 31 to overhaul the target in 15.1 overs despite losing early wickets. For J&K, Auqib Nabi, Yudhvir Singh, and M Ashwin claimed two wickets each, but the total was too low to create any sustained pressure.

With this defeat, J&K’s campaign faces serious questions, primarily around their brittle batting order and inability to post competitive scores. The team will need a major rethink, specially from its top and middle-order batters, if they hope to turn things around in the remaining matches.