SMAT: Abishek Porel stars in Bengal's win as Shami falters
Mohammed Shami, the experienced fast bowler, went wicket-less in Bengal's recent eight-wicket victory over Mizoram in a Group A match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This performance comes just days after his ₹10 crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 Indian Premier League mega auction. However, Abishek Porel, who was retained by Delhi Capitals, scored a match-winning 81 in the game. Here are the key stats.
Shami's bowling prowess shines in Bengal's victory
Shami, who claimed a match-winning 3/21 in his previous outing against Hyderabad, had a hard time against Mizoram. He was the most expensive bowler for Bengal in the match, having gone wicket-less and conceding 46 runs across four overs. Mohit Jangra, who scored a 49-ball 80*, particularly troubled Shami as Mizoram posted 157/4 while batting first at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium C.
Bengal's openers secure win with strong partnership
Chasing Hyderabad's total, Bengal achieved the target in just 15.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. Openers Porel and Karan Lal put up a solid partnership, adding 131 runs in 12.4 overs and paving the way for their team's victory. Porel scored 81 runs off 45 balls while Lal scored 67 runs off just 40 deliveries.
A look at Shami's stats
Shami has been tremendous in the 20-over format, claiming 194 wickets across 159 games at 24.31, as per ESPNcricinfo. His economy reads 8.24 as the tally includes three four-wicket hauls. The veteran was in sensational form for Gujarat Titans in the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons. He scalped 48 wickets across 33 matches for the franchise at 21.04. Shami overall owns 127 IPL scalps at an average of 26.86.
Career-best score for Porel
Porel, who smoked nine fours and four sixes during his stay, made a career-best 81. He has raced to 743 runs across 31 T20 matches at 29.72. This includes five fifties as his strike rate is 148.30. 360 of his runs have come in IPL as his strike rate in the cash-rich league is 152.54 (50s: 2).
