Coming into the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) Final, Jharkhand is on a historic run. They are on a 10-0 winning streak. The Ishan Kishan-led team has been a touch above everyone else. Such has been Jharkhand’s dominance that seven of these victories have been one-sided affairs. When things got tough, they held their nerves and came out on top.
Jharkhand didn’t just make it out of the group stage with ease; they have finished the Super League unscathed as well. They chased down a record-breaking 237 against Punjab, beat last year’s finalists Madhya Pradesh, and topped it off by one-upping Andhra.
Will Ishan Kishan lead Jharkhand to the SMAT title?
On current form, Jharkhand will enter the SMAT Final as favourites. But Haryana won’t be an easy opponent. They have the tournament’s highest scorer and second-highest wicket-taker in their wings.
Jharkhand captain Kishan has been exceptional himself, with 416 runs at 195.30, but Haryana captain Ankit Kumar has comparable numbers, with 448 runs at 172.97. Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj has 20 scalps at 16, while Jharkhand’s Sushant Mishra has 19 wickets at 18.47.
The drop-off in batting isn’t extreme either. Haryana and Jharkhand both have 3 more batters who have amassed 250 runs in the season. Jharkhand has 3 more fast bowlers who have taken more than 10 wickets compared to Haryana’s one.
It’s a commonly accepted trope in cricket that batters win you matches and bowlers win you championships. Considering that, one would again tip Jharkhand as the favourites.
One thing that might go into Haryana’s favour is the venue. They have played 2 matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. Jharkhand too have played one, but Haryana beat Hyderabad by 124 runs just yesterday to qualify for the SMAT Final.
They might just feel that the momentum is on their side. The high of qualifying out of nowhere could work in their favour. Perhaps things could be a deciding factor. But knowing how cricket works, you can’t plan what happens on the day.
