Jharkhand created history as they lifted their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after beating Haryana by 69 runs in the title clash in Pune. Jharkhand rode on skipper Ishan Kishan’s stunning 49-ball 101 and some brisk batting from Kumar Kushagra (81 off 38), Anukul Roy (40* off 20) and Robin Minz (31* off 14) to post a record-tumbling 262/3 in 20 overs and then bundled out the opposition for 193 in 18.3 overs. Sushant Mishra was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 3/27 in 4 overs.

In an exclusive conversation with NewsX.com, Jharkhand batter Virat Singh who put up a brilliant show with the bat during the tournament talked about the historic win, his own performance and Kishan’s captaincy.

“This feeling is unbelievable. I’ve been playing domestic cricket for 10–11 years, and winning a trophy for Jharkhand for the first time means a lot. I’ve played semi-finals before, but lifting the trophy is something special,” he said.

“Our mindset was very clear from the start. Our captain Ishan Kishan told us to dominate, no matter what. Even if we lost early wickets, we wanted to stay positive and put pressure on the bowlers. The wickets were very good, which helped our style of play,” he added.

The left-handed batter lauded the collective effort of the team and how everyone made valuable contributions during the competition.

“This year, every player who got an opportunity stepped up and finished games for the team. That was the biggest difference compared to last season. Earlier, we were getting close but couldn’t close matches. This time, everyone took responsibility, and it helped us win important games,” Singh further said.

Virat who has played a lot of cricket with Kishan right from their early days, had words of praise for the skipper who was the top-scorer in the tournament with 517 runs in 10 matches and had a strike-rate of 197.32. The left-hander also struck two tons and as many fifties for his team.

“Ishan (Kishan) really needed this trophy. It was important for him not only as a batter, but also as a leader. The way he guided the team, stayed positive, and delivered with the bat shows his true quality and experience. His leadership played a big role in our success.”

The 28-year-old credited all-rounder Anukul Roy who was adjudged Player of the Series after scoring 303 runs and scalping 18 wickets, for his all-round show.

“Anukul (Roy) worked very hard on his batting during the off-season. Earlier, he was mainly contributing with the ball, but this season he made a big impact with the bat as well. He scored important quick runs at the end, which really helped the team and made a big difference in close moments.”

Singh didn’t find any bidders during the recently-concluded IPL 2026 auction despite scoring runs in India’s premier T20 domestic tournament. But he is just focused on keeping the hard work going and being among runs.

“Yes, there was some disappointment. I worked very hard and was hoping to get at least one opportunity. But selection does not always reflect performance. My focus is to keep doing well on the field, and I believe the rest will fall into place with time,” he concluded.

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The post EXCLUSIVE | ‘The way he guided the team and…’: Domestic Star Virat Singh Showers Praise On Captain Ishan Kishan After Jharkhand Crowned SMAT Champions appeared first on NewsX.