'They play SMAT like CSK play IPL': Netizens laud TN for reaching 3rd consecutive final

Tamil Nadu beat Hyderabad by 8 wickets to advance to their third consecutive final of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Saturday. The Vijay Shankar-led side won the game comfortably with 34 balls remaining. Saravana Kumar proved to be the key for Tamil Nadu as he picked five wickets in what was only the third T20 match of his career. The defending champions first put up a great performance with the ball and then powered incredible shots with the bat to win the game and become the first team to qualify for the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Final. 

Netizens are lauding the Tamil Nadu side for their exceptional performance in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Some people on social media are also comparing Tamil Nadu's mind-boggling success to the Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK). "Yet another SMAT Final for Tamil Nadu 3rd Final in 3 years! They play SMAT like Chennai Super Kings play IPL (Always into Play offs) Waiting for yet another Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka encounter![sic]," one individual wrote on Twitter. 

Tamil Nadu vs Hyderabad

As far as the match is concerned, Tamil Nadu won the toss and elected to field first. The Vijay Shankar-led side restricted Hyderabad for just 90 runs with Saravana Kumar showing his class by picking 5 wickets in 3.3 overs. None of the Hyderabad batters scored more than 9 runs except for Tanay Thyagrajan, who hit 25 off 24 balls to help his side avoid the humiliation of getting bowled out for a record low total. Apart from Saravana Kumar, Murugan Ashwin and M Mohammed picked two wickets each, while Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore picked one to his name. 

In reply, Tamil Nadu chased down the target with ease, finishing the run-chase in less than 15 overs. Vijay Shankar and Sai Sudharsan finished the game for Tamil Nadu with their unbeaten scores of 43 and 34 runs, respectively. Only Rakshann Readdi was allowed to open his account with the ball for Hyderabad as he registered two wickets for 3.2 overs. Tamil Nadu is the most successful team in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with two titles. Tamil Nadu was the inaugural champion of the competition when it was held for the first time in 2006/07. 

(Image: PTI)