Asif's thunderbolt stuns Mumbai: Kerala script a 15-run upset in SMAT

Defending champions Mumbai walked in with form, firepower and the top spot in Group A. They walked out with their first defeat — and the lingering echo of one over that changed everything.

 

A five-wicket burst from pacer KM Asif, enjoying his finest domestic season, powered underdogs Kerala to a shock 15-run win over Mumbai in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group A match at Ekana Stadium's Ground B in Lucknow on Thursday.

 

Mumbai remain atop the group with 16 points despite the loss. Kerala, with their third win, climbed to third on 12 points — level with second-placed Andhra but behind on net run rate. 

 

 

The moment the game turned

 

Mumbai’s chase of 179 looked on track for most of the night. Even after an early wicket, the defending champions rebuilt calmly through Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan, who added 80 for the second wicket.

 

At 99 for three in the 12th over, Mumbai still had the game where they wanted it.

 

Then came the 18th over — KM Asif’s over — and the chase cracked.

 

Asif tore through the middle in a spell that felt less like pressure and more like a collapse engineered in real time. In that single over, he removed Sairaj Patil (13), Suryakumar Yadav (32) and captain Shardul Thakur (0), dragging Mumbai from control to chaos and leaving them reeling at 149 for seven.

 

He returned in the final over to finish the job, dismissing Shams Mulani and Hardik Tamore as Mumbai folded for 163 in 19.4 overs.

 

Asif ended with five for 24 (as per the match summary), stamping his authority on a contest that had threatened to slip away.

 

Kerala’s start: Samson sets the fuse

 

Kerala’s 178 for five was built on a fast blaze at the top — and a late surge that ensured the total stayed out of reach.

 

Skipper Sanju Samson, the India wicketkeeper-batter who recently completed a high-profile IPL move from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2026 season, struck a 28-ball 46 to set the tone.

 

His innings — eight fours and a six — gave Kerala early momentum. Samson dominated the strike in the powerplay, with opener Rohan Kunnummal facing only five balls.

 

But just as Kerala looked ready to sprint, two quick wickets — Kunnummal (2) and Samson — left them wobbling at 58 for two in the seventh over. 

 

The middle-overs grind — and the late punch

 

After Samson’s exit, Kerala’s scoring rate dipped as Vishnu Vinod anchored with an unbeaten 43 off 40 balls, managing just three boundaries. It was not the most fluent acceleration, but it kept Kerala in the contest.

 

The innings regained life through a 63-run stand between Vinod and Mohammed Azharuddeen (32), and then a decisive late cameo from pacer Sharafuddeen, who hammered 35 not out off 15 balls to push Kerala to a fighting 178 for five.

 

Why this win matters

 

This was not just an upset — it was a statement.

 

Mumbai came loaded: Shardul Thakur as captain, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube in the line-up, and an established white-ball core built for chases like these. Yet Kerala held their nerve, defended a competitive total, and did it by forcing Mumbai’s stars into a pressure chamber they could not escape.

 

For Kerala, it also reshapes the Group A race. With 12 points, they are now firmly in the mix, only marginally behind Andhra on net run rate.

 

What’s latest: Asif’s Lucknow love story continues

 

Lucknow has become KM Asif’s hunting ground this season. The 32-year-old now has 13 wickets in four SMAT matches at the venue — a remarkable run that underlines how decisive he has been in Kerala’s campaign.

 

Brief scores

 

Kerala 178/5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 46, Vishnu Vinod 43; Shardul Thakur 1/34, Shivam Dube 1/18) beat Mumbai 163 all out in 19.4 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 52, Ajinkya Rahane 32, Suryakumar Yadav 32; KM Asif 5/24, Vignesh Puthur 2/31) by 15 runs.

 

Assam 175/7 in 20 overs (Abdul Kuraishi 57, Nihar Deka 52; Yash Thakur 3/36) beat Vidarbha 117 in 17.5 overs (Mukhtar Hussain 3/36, Akash Sengupta 3/12) by 58 runs.

 

Chhattisgarh 158/6 in 50 overs (Amandeep Khare 44, Shashank Singh 46; Prithvi Raj 2/35, KV Sasikanth 2/36) lost to Andhra 159/2 in 18.5 overs (Ashwin Hebbar 50, Shaik Rasheed 59 not out) by 8 wickets.