Ishan Kishan's statement hundred powers Jharkhand to maiden SMAT title
Pune (PTI): Out-of-favour India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan made a compelling case for a T20I recall with a belligerent hundred to power Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title with a 69-run victory over Haryana here on Thursday.
Kishan went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums en route to a breathtaking 49-ball 101, as Jharkhand piled up an imposing 262 for 3.
Jharkhand bowlers, led by medium pacer Anukul Roy, then struck twice in his opening over while his team applied the brakes with regular wickets to bowl out Haryana for 193, despite a fighting half-century from wicketkeeper-batter Yashvardhan Dalal (53).
Roy also also smashed a 20-ball 40.
Jharkhand thus became the 12th state to win the country's premier T20 domestic tournament.
Invited to bat first, the Jharkhand skipper stitched a decisive 177-run partnership for the second wicket with Kumar Kushagra, who played the perfect foil with a rapid 81 off 38 deliveries to keep the pressure firmly on the Haryana bowlers.
The century was Kishan's second of the tournament. The 27-year-old has been in scintillating form throughout the competition and topped the run charts with 517 runs from 10 innings at a staggering strike rate of 197.32.
The left-hander's rich vein of form comes at an opportune time, with the national selectors set to convene soon to pick India's T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup.
Kishan treated the Haryana attack with complete disdain, also striking eight fours, and brought up his hundred with a stylish one-handed six over extra cover.
He was eventually clean bowled by Sumit Kumar in the 15th over, with Kushagra departing in the following over.
Late cameos from Anukul and Robin Minz (31 off 14) ensured Jharkhand finished on a high, posting a total that proved well beyond Haryana's reach.
Haryana batters needed to go hammer and tongs to overhaul the daunting target, but their chase began in disastrous fashion as they lost skipper Ankit Kumar (0) and Ashish Siwach (0) in quick succession to slump to 2/1.
Wicketkeeper-batter Dalal attempted to steady the innings, first adding 34 runs with opener Arsh Ranga (17) and then forging a 67-run partnership with Nishant Sindhu (31).
However, Anukul turned the match decisively in Jharkhand's favour by removing both set batters in the same over, derailing Haryana's chase.
Brief Score:
Jharkhand 262/3 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 101, Kumar Kushagra 89; Sumit Kumar 1/41)
Haryana 193 all out in 18.3 overs (Yashvardhan Dalal 53, Samant Jakhar 38; Sushant Mishra 3/21)
That winning feeling! 🥳
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 18, 2025
Time for celebration in the Jharkhand camp as they win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the first time 🙌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/3fGWDCTjoo#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/qJB0b2oS0Y
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ISRO, TIFR sign MoU for collaboration in space science, tech, exploration
Bengaluru (PTI): In a landmark event for India's space exploration programme, ISRO on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TIFR for scientific collaboration in the domain of space science, technology, and exploration, the space agency said.
The signing ceremony took place at ISRO Headquarters here, and was presided over by the space agency's Chairman V Narayanan.
In a statement, ISRO said that this event marks a historical milestone, as it establishes the formal framework for scientific collaboration between ISRO and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, organisations that have shared an "umbilical" relationship in space sciences for over several decades.
"While TIFR played a critical role in the formative days of the Indian space programme through early balloon experiments and mission-specific partnerships like AstroSat, this MoU provides a structured multi-year collaboration in ground and space-based scientific exploration of the outer space," the space agency said.
ISRO Chairman Narayanan in his presidential address stated that this MoU bridges a critical gap in the formal framework for science collaboration.
He highlighted that India is entering an era where science extends to exoplanetary study and the development of several national capabilities.
Collaboration between ISRO and TIFR would facilitate the materialisation of the nation's target to achieve excellence in space science in the global arena.
Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, ISRO recalled TIFR's role as the "cradle of Indian space scientists," noting its pivotal contributions to the early day's of the country's space programme, which paved the way to TIFR's contributions to the AstroSat mission.
Jayaram Chengalur, Director, TIFR emphasised that the institute will leverage national space and ground-based technological capabilities to propose projects that translate fundamental scientific knowledge into tangible advancements aligned with national initiatives.
According to ISRO, this partnership significantly enhances India's might in space exploration by fostering a seamless pipeline between academic excellence and space infrastructure. By co-developing indigenous hardware and joint testing facilities, the MoU reduces dependency on foreign entities.
Furthermore, this collaboration ensures that joint activities will place India at the forefront of global fundamental space science, it added.
