Nitish Kumar Reddy produced one of the standout individual performances of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League stage, yet Andhra slumped to a four-wicket loss against Madhya Pradesh at the DY Patil Academy on Friday. The all-rounder’s sensational hat-trick in the third over briefly tilted the match in Andhra’s favour, but MP’s middle order showed resilience to secure a vital win in their opening Super League fixture.

Reddy struck early after joining the squad fresh from India’s Test and ODI tours of South Africa. His triple blow removed Harsh Gawli, Harpreet Bhatia and senior batter Rajat Patidar in quick succession, reducing MP to 14/3. The situation worsened for MP when Venkatesh Iyer fell soon after, leaving them reeling at 37/4 and handing Andhra a strong opportunity to dominate the contest.

However, MP’s fifth-wicket pair of Rishabh Chouhan and Rahul Batham mounted a calm and calculated recovery. The duo stitched together a match-winning 73-run partnership, defying Andhra’s bowlers with measured strokeplay and disciplined shot selection. Chouhan scored a crucial 47 off 43 balls, striking six fours, while Batham’s unbeaten 35 ensured MP crossed the finish line comfortably with 15 balls to spare.

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Earlier in the day, Andhra’s batting unit faltered after an early wobble. The team slumped to 7/2 before a stabilising 50-run stand between Nitish Reddy and wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat brought them back into the game. Bharat top-scored with 39, but his dismissal to Venkatesh Iyer triggered a dramatic collapse. Andhra lost eight wickets for just 55 runs and were bowled out for a modest 112 in 19.1 overs.

Madhya Pradesh’s bowlers displayed discipline and variation, exploiting Andhra’s fragile batting lineup effectively. Shivam Shukla led the attack with an impressive 4/23, while Tripuresh Singh chipped in with 3/31. Batham also contributed with two wickets, as four Andhra batters were dismissed without scoring—highlighting the team’s inconsistency in crucial phases of the innings.

With this win, MP collected four key points and built early momentum in the Super League stage. Andhra, meanwhile, will look to regroup ahead of their next clash against Punjab on December 14. Madhya Pradesh will face Jharkhand on the same day as both teams aim for a strong push toward the knockout rounds.

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