Ishan Kishan Shines Amidst IPL Auction, Leads Jharkhand to SMAT Final

• Ishan Kishan captained Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 final.
• Jharkhand qualified based on a superior net run rate (+0.221) despite losing to Andhra Pradesh.
• Venkatesh Iyer scored a crucial half-century (70 runs off 43 balls) for Madhya Pradesh against Punjab.
• Madhya Pradesh lost to Punjab, who chased 226 runs, eliminating both teams from the final race.
• These SMAT performances occurred amidst the buzz of the IPL 2026 auction.

Why It Matters: Ishan Kishan led Jharkhand to SMAT final; Venkatesh Iyer's fifty in vain, as IPL auction buzz continues.