Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: KL Shrijith earns his rightful place in Karnataka squad

The wicket-keeper batsman was handed an immediate debut in their Elite Group A opening game against Jammu and Kashmir at Alur and he did not disappoint.

BENGALURU: After impressive performances in the YSR Memorial 50-over tournament and the KSCA Twenty20 league recently, KL Shrijith was picked in Karnataka's squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The wicket-keeper batsman was handed an immediate debut in their Elite Group A opening game against Jammu and Kashmir at Alur on Sunday and he did not disappoint, scoring an important 31-ball unbeaten 48, helping his team compile 150/5.

It was not a massive target, but Karnataka bowlers, including Prasidh Krishna (3/34) were on the money and dismissed their opponents for 107 runs to win the match by 43 runs. This win has helped the defending champions to start the campaign on a winning note.  

However, Shrijith, who was picked in the starting XI ahead of BR Sharath, deserves special praise for his solid show on debut. Shrijith was somewhat under pressure when he walked into bat with Devdutt Padikkal, Rohan Kadam and Karun Nair back in the hut. 

Karnataka were 55/3 then, but the southpaw top-scored for his side with a dominating display which included some lusty blows. His innings comprised three sixes and one four. 

Besides the left-hander, Aniruddha Joshi (29) also contributed with the bat as the two players were involved in a 65-run fifth-wicket partnership. Karnataka changed gears in the last five overs, scoring 52 runs, including 24 in the last two. And it was this late push, which helped them come up with a decent score on the board.

In the second innings, after Abhimanyu Mithun dismissed opener Qamran Iqbal in the fourth over, Karnataka bowlers took wickets at regular intervals. They did not allow any time for Jammu and Kashmir batsmen to settle down. With just 69 runs on the board, half of their team were in the pavilion. 

Quality strokemaker Abdul Samad did not find much support as the right-hander lost his wicket for 30 runs. Prasidh was the pick of the bowlers while Mithun, J Suchith and K Gowtham scalped two wickets each.

In the other two Group A contests in Alur, Punjab and Railways also emerged victorious. They beat Uttar Pradesh and Tripura by 11 runs and six wickets respectively.

​Brief Scores: Karnataka 150/5 in 20 overs (KL Shrijith 48 n.o) bt Jammu & Kashmir 107/10 in 18.4 overs (Abdul Samad 30, Prasidh Krishna 3/34).

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