Shahbaz Ahmed doesn’t speak a lot on the field, and he surely isn’t the one who’ll try to steal a spotlight from someone. But on Saturday, Ahmed had a sparse crowd move away its eyeballs from Mohammed Shami here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy witnessed thrilling matches with star performances. Bengal defeated Punjab, thanks to Shahbaz Ahmed's unbeaten century. Hardik Pandya's all-round heroics powered Baroda past Gujarat.

Indian batter Sanju Samson continued to be amongst the runs in the 20-over format. After slamming two tons for India in the recently concluded four-match T20I series versus South Africa, Samson has started well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - India's premier T20 domestic competition.

Hyderabad captain Tilak Varma scripted history by becoming the first batter to score three consecutive T20 centuries. The 22-year-old's record-breaking spree culminated in a jaw-dropping 151 off just 67 balls in Hyderabad's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener.

The 17th edition of India's prestigious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy begins with 38 teams competing. Defending champions Punjab are in Group A. The tournament provides a platform for both seasoned internationals and emerging stars,

The Bengal man Shami earlier made his red-ball return in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore and was impressive while picking up seven wickets.

India all rounder Hardik Pandya guided his domestic team Baroda to a five-wicket win over Gujarat in the first game of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25