Ahmedabad, Jan 31: Tamil Nadu produced an impressive batting display after left-arm spinner M Siddarth's four-wicket haul as they lifted the coveted Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy after defeating Baroda by seven wickets in the final here on Sunday.
This was Tamil Nadu's second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph, after winning their first title way back in 2006-07. Baroda, who had won the title twice in the past (in 2011-12 and 2013-14), ended runners-up this time.
Siddharth (4/20) spun his web around the Baroda batsmen to restrict them to a meagre 120 for 9 and then Tamil Nadu overhauled the target in 18 overs, with opener C Hari Nishaanth top-scoring with 35.
Chasing 121 for a win, Tamil Nadu lost opener Narayan Jagadeesan (14) early as pacer Lukman Meriwala (1/34) picked up the first wicket, with the opposition at 26/1.
But Nishaanth (35; 3x4; 1x6) continued playing his shots and was joined by Baba Aparajith (29 not out off 35 balls) as Tamil Nadu reached 61/1 after 10 overs.
However, medium-pacer Babashafi Pathan removed Nishaanth in the 12th over, as he holed out in the deep, to reduce TN to 67/2 and give Baroda a glimmer of hope.
Skipper Dinesh Karthik played his part to perfection with a 16-ball 22 but perished when his side needed 20 runs off 23 balls.
Aparajith and Shahrukh Khan (18 not out off 7 balls; 2x4; 1x6) then took TN home. Shahrukh, fittingly, finished the game with a boundary.
Earlier, Siddharth's brilliant bowling upfront enabled TN to restrict Baroda to 120 for 9 on a difficult track.
It was largely due to the 58-run seventh wicket stand between Vishnu Solanki (49 off 55 balls; 1x4; 2x6) and Atit Sheth (29 off 30 balls; 2x4;1x6) that Baroda after being reduced to 36/6 managed a three-figure total.
Siddharth used the pitch to his advantage by varying the pace of his deliveries and also using the crease well to create awkward angles for the batsmen.
Put into bat on a Sardar Patel Stadium track that offered both turn and bounce, Baroda lost left-handed opener Ninad Rathva (1) early as the move to start with spinners from both the ends paid off for Tamil Nadu.
Rathva was caught by KB Arun Karthik off offie Baba Aparajith (1/16). Aparajith and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (0/11) kept things tight as Baroda was 11/1 after three overs.
Skipper Kedar Devdhar (16), who had hammered three boundaries, could not convert his starts and gave a sitter to Narayan Jagadeesan at cover as the wiry Siddharth picked up his first wicket.
Brief Scores:
Baroda 120/9 (Vishnu Solanki 49, Atit Sheth 29; M Siddharth 4/20; M Mohammed 1/16) lost to
Tamil Nadu 123/3 (C Hari Nishaanth 35, Baba Aparajith 29 not out; Atit Sheth 1/20, Babashafi Pathan 1/23) by 7 wickets.
Mr @ThakurArunS, Honorary Treasurer, BCCI, hands over the Man of the Match award to Tamil Nadu's M Siddharth for his impressive 4/20 in the @Paytm #SyedMushtaqAliT20 #Final against Baroda. ?? pic.twitter.com/DO89Xl1G9x
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 31, 2021
D.O.M.I.N.A.N.C.E! ??
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 31, 2021
The @DineshKarthik-led Tamil Nadu unit beat Baroda by 7⃣ wickets in the #Final and clinch the @Paytm #SyedMushtaqAliT20 title in style at the @GCAMotera. ?? | @TNCACricket
Scorecard ? https://t.co/UAB2Z0siQm pic.twitter.com/MARKSY4rLK
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Dhar (PTI): Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Monday started coaching 50 master trainers about 337 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste brought to Pithampur for incineration before they set out to spread awareness that the waste is not hazardous.
The state government has gone on the backfoot after the public outcry against waste disposal and two self-immolation bids in the Pithampur industrial area, which witnessed protests earlier this month.
Talking to PTI, Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra said, "We are preparing 50-odd master trainers, including science teachers, professors and officials. They will be informed about the exact status of the waste before they reach out to people to dispel misinformation."
On January 6, the principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur granted the state government six weeks to act on the Union Carbide factory waste disposal as per the safety guidelines. The authorities had sought time to educate people and dispel their fear about waste disposal following protests in Pithampur.
Mishra said the master trainers will start their outreach on Tuesday, and 50 more master trainers will be roped in.
"We will give presentations via video with content and other mediums to master trainers," he said.
On January 2, the waste, packed in 12 sealed containers, was shifted from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to the disposal site at Pithampur, located 250 km from the state capital.
It has 700 factories in three sectors.
Hours after it reached Pithampur, protests commenced in the industrial town, around 50 km from the Dhar district headquarters.
The agitators had claimed that the disposal would harm humans and the environment.
On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious injuries and long-lasting health issues.
During a hearing on December 3, 2024, the high court pulled up the authorities for failing to dispose of the waste at the defunct Union Carbide factory.
The court had asked the government to remove and transport the waste from the site within four weeks and warned of contempt proceedings if it failed to act on the directive.