Venkatesh Iyer's 43-ball 70 powers Madhya Pradesh to 225/8 against Punjab in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 16 (ANI): Venkatesh Iyer starred for Madhya Pradesh (MP) in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite 2025, blasting a crucial 70 off 43 balls against Punjab to help his team post a commanding first-innings total of 225/8 at the DY Patil Academy, Ambi, Pune.
With Venkatesh Iyer and Harsh Gawali opening the batting, MP got off to a turbulent start as Harsh was dismissed in the third over after scoring a 10-ball seven. Iyer immediately assumed the role of the innings' architect. While other batters played their shots around him, Iyer resorted to rotation of the strike, particularly against Punjab's spin contingent.
His initial phase was marked by quick singles and timely boundaries, ensuring the momentum did not stall after the powerplay. However, MP lost Harpreet Singh Bhatia right after the powerplay ended as the batter was dismissed for a 15-ball 27, leaving MP 60/1 in 6.3 overs.
Rajat Patidar scored a quick 20 off 11 balls and fell in the 10th over with MP's score at 93/3 after 9.5 overs.
The best part of Iyer's innings came after the tenth over, when he shifted gears and took control of the game. He took the attack to Punjab's medium-pacers, breaking their bowling plans.
His strike rate, which started around 130-140, quickly climbed past 160 as he played aggressive, high-impact shots. In the middle and death overs, he took full advantage of the short boundaries and showed why he is one of India's most dangerous T20 all-rounders.
Iyer was finally dismissed in the 17th over for a well-made 70 off 43 balls, but by then, Madhya Pradesh had already registered of 168/5 in 17 overs. Aniket Verma (31 off 16 balls, three sixes) and Mangesh Yadav (28 off 12 balls, four fours and one six) further helped MP reach their final score of 225/8 in 20 overs. (ANI)