Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy: Settlers Delhi looks set to atone for recent near-miss in semi-final against MP | Cricket News

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The chaos associated with the Delhi team is missing. Unlike the Ranji season when change seems to be around the corner after every outing, they look a settled outfit in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT). No one seems to be pointing fingers at others for mistakes on the field. If anything, Delhi has an air of confidence going about their business.

After heartbreaking exits in the last two seasons, here they are again, the Ayush Badoni-led Delhi team looking to get past the semi-final stage as they prepare to face Madhya Pradesh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.

For a team that has struggled in the Ranji Trophy for the past few seasons, SMAT is turning into a tournament where they seem to have settled down. Last season, Delhi were the only unbeaten team that lost to eventual champions Punjab in the semi-finals. In the 2022/23 season, when they were firing on all cylinders, they fell to Vidarbha by one run in the quarter-finals. This season, they topped Group C and in the quarter-finals, stood one step away from the finals behind Uttar Pradesh.

Himmat Singh, who captained Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, credits the change to the Delhi Premier League (DPL), which started this year. ‘We’ve all been playing for a few years now. Over the years, we have come to understand each other better and trust each other more. This time, DPL has helped us find new talents and they are stepping up and performing here. A good combination is important to win a tournament and we have a good one now. We have also seen different players step up each time, which means we are contributing as a group,” Himmat told The Indian Express.

While the Delhi batsmen’s application in the longer format has come under scrutiny, in the T20 format, they look at home due to a batting lineup that is not short on strength. Take the quarterfinal against Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, when they looked a unit that knew what the game plan was.

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Against a UP side whose attack was not lacking in quality, the intent shown by the Delhi top order – which includes Priyansh Arya, Yash Dhul, captain Badoni and Anuj Rawat – stood out. Arya had an excellent DPL, where he emerged as the player of the tournament. Badoni and Rawat have IPL experience, Dhul is in the running again.

“If you look at it, as a group, we all play T20 more than the longer format in Delhi. It’s a format where we find ourselves in a tough situation, we know how to get out. That’s not consistent in red-ball cricket. Here, “All the boys have good game awareness of who to attack and which bowler to bring in a particular batsman. We have improved in areas where we need to improve,” felt Himmat.

He also knows what positive results can do for a party. In five rounds of the Ranji Trophy this season, due to injuries and other off-field instability, Delhi used as many as 24 players with just one win to its credit. Even on the SMAT, where teams often stick to settled combinations, they’ve used 21 players in eight games. However, they got the desired result.

“We have been performing well in red ball cricket as well, but consistency is lacking. Everyone here is moving forward. And when the team is winning, no one is pointing fingers at you and the results are improving confidence. When you lose, there are many changes and as a player, you don’t get another chance to show what you are capable of. Here, we are an organized group. We have young players and once they find their feet we can dominate the circuit for at least 3-4 years,” adds Himmat.

But for now it is Madhya Pradesh that awaits them. Ahead of their semi-final match, Delhi are worried about their key spinner Suyesh Sharma due to fever. But they hope they have enough weapons in their ranks to overcome strong opposition.

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The big contest of the day will be in the morning when a star-studded Mumbai team takes on Baroda at 11 am. Both teams, who are known as title contenders, are pitted against each other due to special seeding for the knockout stage. So far in the tournament, Baroda have punched above their weight and the question is whether they have the ability to stop Mumbai, who have appreciable strength in their batting.

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