Jharkhand pulled off the highest successful run chase in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history on December 12, 2025, chasing down 236 against Punjab with six wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.
Punjab had done almost everything right with the bat. On a flat pitch, they put up 235 for 6, powered by a stunning 125 off 45 balls from Salil Arora. It was the kind of total that usually ends games early in domestic T20 cricket.
Jharkhand never let it settle that way. Ishan Kishan came out swinging and took the pressure off straightaway with 47 off 23 balls, making sure the asking rate never ran away. The real control, though, came from Kumar Kushagra. Batting at No. 3, he stayed unbeaten on 86 from 42 deliveries, picking his moments and keeping the chase on track through the middle overs.
Once the equation tightened, Pankaj Kumar finished it off. His 39 off 18 balls alongside Kushagra pushed Jharkhand comfortably past the line in the 19th over, turning what looked like a tense finish into a routine one.
The chase goes past the previous benchmarks set by Mumbai’s 230 against Andhra in 2024 and Puducherry’s 227 against Andhra in 2021. More than the record itself, it reflected how domestic T20 batting has shifted totals in excess of 230 are no longer treated as impossible, even in knockout-level games.
Highest Successful Run Chase in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT)
| Rank | Match | Season | Target Chased | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jharkhand vs Punjab | 2025 | 236 | Jharkhand won |
| 2 | Mumbai vs Haryana | 2025 | 235 | Mumbai won |
| 3 | Mumbai vs Andhra | 2024–25 | 230 | Mumbai won |
| 4 | Puducherry vs Andhra | 2020–21 | 227 | Puducherry won |
| 5 | Baroda vs Punjab | 2025 | 223 | Baroda won |
