The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s electrifying domestic T20 spectacle, often delivers edge-of-the-seat dramas where underdogs rise and favorites falter, and the Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard from the Preliminary Quarter-Final on December 9, 2024, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, is a perfect embodiment of this chaos. In a contest that went down to the wire, Bengal clung on for a thrilling 3-run victory, defending 159/9 as Chandigarh fell agonizingly short at 156/9 in their 20 overs.
For cricket aficionados dissecting the Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard, it’s a treasure trove of tension: Karan Lal’s gritty 33 anchoring Bengal’s innings, Jagjit Singh’s fiery 4/21 ripping through the middle order, and Raj Bawa’s valiant 32 in a chase that nearly turned the tide. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard unravels the pre-match buildup, over-by-over intensity, a detailed full scorecard breakdown, player masterclasses, tactical chess moves, and the profound implications for both bengal cricket team vs chandigarh cricket team match scorecard in the SMAT playoffs.
The SMAT 2024-25, the BCCI’s premier T20 tournament, serves as a proving ground for IPL aspirants and state pride, with Group stage fireworks leading into knockouts that test nerve under pressure. Bengal, the Group B runners-up with seven wins from nine games, entered the quarterfinals riding high on their explosive batting led by skipper Anustup Majumdar and pacer Sayan Ghosh’s death-over wizardry. Their campaign boasted high-scoring chases, but vulnerabilities in the powerplay had surfaced against Saurashtra. Chandigarh, the surprise Group A toppers with eight victories, boasted IPL-contracted talents like Raj Bawa and Sandeep Sharma, blending youth with experience under Manan Vohra’s captaincy.
Their path featured gritty defenses, but batting collapses against Delhi loomed as a ghost. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard promised a clash of styles—Bengal’s flair versus Chandigarh’s resilience—on a Chinnaswamy pitch notorious for high scores (average 180+ first innings) and dew-aided chases.
Pre-Match Fireworks: Form, Toss, and Tactical Gambits
Bengal’s arrival in Bengaluru buzzed with confidence, fresh off a 6-wicket demolition of Assam in the last league game, where Abhishek Porel’s 82* showcased their chasing prowess. Coach Manoj Tiwary emphasized spin variations from Mohammed Saif and quicks like Ghosh to exploit any early dampness. Key inclusions: opener Sudip Gharami for aggression and all-rounder Ranjot Singh for balance. Chandigarh, meanwhile, had stunned Kerala by 8 wickets, with Vohra’s 67* underscoring their top-order solidity.
Vohra’s strategy hinged on left-arm pacer Arjun Tendulkar’s swing and spinner Jagjit Singh’s guile, while Bawa’s all-round threat was the X-factor. Squad tweaks saw uncapped batter Nishank Birla promoted for firepower. The toss, under partly cloudy skies (24°C, dew forecast post-7 PM), was crucial—batting first risked a par score, but chasing under lights favored the second innings (70% success rate at Chinnaswamy). Majumdar won the toss and batted, a calculated risk to benchmark 160-170.
Pundits were split: 52% backed Bengal per Cricbuzz algorithms, citing their 85% win rate in defended totals, but Chandigarh’s chase efficiency (82%) whispered upset potential. Fan frenzy erupted on social media with BengalVsChandigarh, debates raging over whether Ghosh’s yorkers could neutralize Bawa’s six-hitting. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard was poised for T20 theater, where a single over could rewrite destinies.
Bengal’s Batting Odyssey: From Collapse to Clutch Recovery
Bengal’s innings kicked off under the Chinnaswamy lights, openers Ankit Chatterjee and Gharami facing Tendulkar’s probing outswingers. Chatterjee (8 off 6, 1 four) started briskly but holed out to deep midwicket off Jagjit Singh at 12/1 (2.2 overs)—a soft powerplay blow. Gharami (22 off 18, 3 fours, 1 six) injected momentum, pulling Bawa for six over square leg, but at 41/2 (5.4), he edged Tendulkar to Vohra at slip. Enter Majumdar (15 off 12, 2 fours), steadying with nurdles, but Chandigarh’s spinners struck: at 58/3 (8.5), Majumdar lbw to Jagjit, whose arm ball did the trick.
The middle order wobbled—Porel (9 off 7) skied Bawa to covers at 67/4 (10.2), Saha (4 off 5) stumped off Jagjit at 74/5 (11.5). Panic set in at 85/7 (14.1) after Ranjot Singh (2 off 4) and Saif (0 off 1) fell to Bawa and Chaudhary. But Karan Lal’s arrival sparked revival: his 33 off 25 (2 fours, 2 sixes, SR 132) was pure grit—a slog-swept six off Jagjit and a lofted cover drive for four off Tendulkar. Partnering Ghosh (18* off 12, 1 four, 1 six), Lal added 39 crucial runs, pushing to 124/8 by 17th over.
Final overs yielded 35, with Ghosh’s ramp shot sealing 159/9. Extras (12) boosted, run rate 7.95. Chandigarh’s bowlers excelled: Jagjit’s 4/21 (4 overs) economical wizardry, Bawa’s 2/27 fiery. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard’s first half screamed fightback—Bengal posted a defendable total despite 7/74 middle-order implosion.
Chandigarh’s Chase: Fire and Fury, Falling Just Short
Chandigarh’s pursuit ignited with Vohra’s aggression: 25 off 15 (3 fours, 2 sixes) before stumped off Saif at 41/1 (4.6)—a massive blow. Bhambri (14 off 10) and Mahajan (8 off 7) rebuilt to 65/2 (8.2), but Ghosh entered: Bhambri caught at deep square at 65/2 (8.2). Kaushik (12 off 9) fell to Seth at 78/3 (10.1), Sidhu (5 off 4) lbw Ghosh at 85/4 (11.4). Bawa’s arrival turned chaos to hope: his 32 off 20 (2 fours, 3 sixes, SR 160) included a 102m six over long-on off Seth, racing to 112/4 by 14th over.
Tension mounted: Dhanda (18 off 12) added 26, but run-out at 128/5 (16.1) shifted gears. Birla (4 off 1) smashed a four but holed out to Lal off Ghosh at 132/6 (16.5). Saini (0 off 1) golden duck to Seth at 132/7 (16.6). Last pair Sharma (11 off 8, 1 six) and Chaudhary (9* off 6) needed 28 off 20—Sharma’s six off Ghosh narrowed to 19 off 12. But Ghosh’s 19th over: dot, wide, single, dot, two—9 off 6. Final over from Seth: single, dot, two wides, dot, single, dot—Bengal held. Chandigarh 156/9, extras 13 aiding.
Ghosh’s 4/30 (4 overs) heroic, Seth’s 2/35 clutch. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard’s chase was a rollercoaster—12 sixes, but 4 wickets in 13 balls doomed them.
Full Scorecard Breakdown: bengal cricket team vs chandigarh cricket team match scorecard
The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard’s pulse lies in its tables, chronicling every boundary and breakdown. Below, exhaustive full-sized tables detail batting strokes, bowling spells, and fall timelines—equal in scope to the “full scored” drama, illuminating why 315 runs in 40 overs felt like 400.
Bengal Innings (20 overs maximum)
Total: 159/9 (Run Rate: 7.95) Extras: 12 (lb 3, w 9) Did not bat: None
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ankit Chatterjee | c Raj Bawa b Jagjit Singh | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Sudip Gharami | c Vohra b Arjun Tendulkar | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 122.22 |
| Anustup Majumdar (c) | lbw b Jagjit Singh | 15 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Abhishek Porel | c Mahajan b Raj Bawa | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 128.57 |
| Wriddhiman Saha (wk) | st Vohra b Jagjit Singh | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Ranjot Singh | c Bhambri b Anshul Chaudhary | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Mohammed Saif | b Raj Bawa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Karan Lal | c sub (N Birla) b Jagjit Singh | 33 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 132.00 |
| Sayan Ghosh | not out | 18 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 150.00 |
| Kanishk Seth | run out (Raj Bawa) | 24 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 104.35 |
| Shahbaz Ahmed | not out | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 171.43 |
Chandigarh Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arjun Tendulkar | 4 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Sandeep Sharma | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 7.00 |
| Jagjit Singh | 4 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 5.25 |
| Raj Bawa | 4 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 6.75 |
| Anshul Chaudhary | 4 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 11.25 |
Chandigarh Innings (Target: 160 runs from 20 overs)
Total: 156/9 (20 overs, Run Rate: 7.80) Extras: 13 (lb 1, w 12) Did not bat: None
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manan Vohra (c) | st Saha b Mohammed Saif | 25 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 166.67 |
| Shivam Bhambri | c Ranjot Singh b Sayan Ghosh | 14 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Kunal Mahajan | c Saha b Kanishk Seth | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 114.29 |
| Ankit Kaushik | c Karan Lal b Sayan Ghosh | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Mayank Sidhu (wk) | lbw b Sayan Ghosh | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Raj Bawa | c Sudip Gharami b Sayan Ghosh | 32 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 160.00 |
| Rohit Dhanda | run out (Wriddhiman Saha) | 18 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 150.00 |
| Nishank Birla | c Karan Lal b Sayan Ghosh | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 400.00 |
| Abhishek Saini | b Kanishk Seth | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sandeep Sharma | not out | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 137.50 |
| Anshul Chaudhary | not out | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 150.00 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-41 (Vohra, 4.6 ov), 2-65 (Bhambri, 8.2 ov), 3-78 (Mahajan, 10.1 ov), 4-85 (Kaushik, 11.4 ov), 5-128 (Sidhu, 16.1 ov), 6-132 (Bawa, 16.5 ov), 7-132 (Saini, 16.6 ov)
Bengal Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Saif | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Shahbaz Ahmed | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Sayan Ghosh | 4 | 0 | 30 | 4 | 7.50 |
| Ranjot Singh | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Kanishk Seth | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 8.75 |
| Karan Lal | 4 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 6.00 |
Stars of the Show: Ghosh’s Fire, Lal’s Glue, Bawa’s Braveheart
Sayan Ghosh’s 4/30 earned Player of the Match, his variations—slower bouncers and yorkers—accounting for Bhambri, Kaushik, Sidhu, and Bawa in a spellbinding 16th over double-strike. From 128/4 to 132/7, Ghosh’s 7 runs conceded in final 4 overs were gold. Karan Lal’s 33 wasn’t flashy but pivotal—his 50-ball stand with Seth (24) rescued from 85/7, SR 132 a nod to composure.
For Chandigarh, Bawa’s 32 off 20 was heroic, his three sixes off Seth and Ghosh nearly scripting heist, but run-outs (Dhanda) and dots (9 in last 2 overs) haunted. Jagjit’s 4/21 dismantled Bengal’s top, his googlies lethal. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard spotlights T20’s heroes: Ghosh’s economy 7.50 belying impact, Vohra’s 25 off 15 the spark that fizzled.
Tactically, Majumdar’s bat-first call paid dividends—159 defendable on dew track—while Vohra’s aggressive fields pressured powerplay (41/1). Bengal’s death bowling (Ghosh-Seth 6/65) vs Chandigarh’s (Chaudhary 1/45) decided; misfields cost CHD 5 runs. DRS moments: two lbws upheld for Ghosh.
Playoff Ramifications: Bengal’s Surge, Chandigarh’s Heartbreak
Bengal’s win catapults them to semifinals vs Tamil Nadu, their 3-run heist boosting morale—next target: SMAT title after 2010-11 drought. Ghosh’s haul eyes IPL retention (Kolkata Knight Riders?), Lal’s knock India A call-up. Chandigarh, eliminated, rues collapses (4th in knockouts), but Bawa’s form strengthens Punjab Kings IPL case. Group stage: Bengal 2nd (26 points), Chandigarh 1st .
For Chandigarh, the Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard delivered cruel heartbreak. Despite topping Group A with 30 points and boasting stars like Raj Bawa and Manan Vohra, they crashed out in the preliminary quarter-final. The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard exposed their middle-order fragility under pressure, ending a dream campaign that had promised so much. This stinging defeat will linger, but it also underlined Chandigarh’s arrival as a serious domestic force.
Conclusion: The Enduring Magic of the Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team Match Scorecard
Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard will forever remain one of the most heart-pounding chapters in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard captured every emotion T20 cricket can offer: a dramatic collapse, a heroic lower-order fightback, a blazing start to the chase, and a final-over choke that left 8,000 fans at Chinnaswamy breathless.
The Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard is not just about 159/9 and 156/9; it is about Sayan Ghosh’s ice-cool 4/30 that turned the game on its head, Karan Lal’s gritty 33 that gave Bengal something to defend, and Raj Bawa’s fearless 32 that took Chandigarh to the brink of an impossible heist. For Bengal, this Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard became the launchpad to the semi-finals and a reminder that even modest totals can be gold with disciplined death bowling.
For Chandigarh, the Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard will sting as the one that slipped away despite Jagjit Singh’s dream spell of 4/21. Yet, both bengal cricket team vs chandigarh cricket team match scorecard added another unforgettable page to domestic T20 folklore. Ultimately, the Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard proves why we keep coming back to the SMAT: because on any given night, under lights, with dew or without, 3 runs can feel like a mountain and a single over can become eternity. This Bengal Cricket Team vs Chandigarh Cricket Team match scorecard is pure cricket drama—etched, celebrated, and retold for seasons to come.
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