Dinesh Karthik-led Tamil Nadu lifted their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Sunday as they beat Baroda in a one-sided contest in Ahmedabad.
Tamil Nadu also created history by winning every single match en route to the title to go one further from their finalist position last season.
Skipper Dinesh Karthik said that his team has been consistent and the nail-biting thriller last season in which Tamil Nadu lost to Karnataka on the last ball really hurt them and they were keen to do better this time around.
Tamil Nadu produced an impressive batting display after left-arm spinner M Siddarth’s four-wicket haul as they lifted the coveted Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy after defeating Baroda by seven wickets in the final here on Sunday.
After limiting Baroda to 120/9 on the back of some fine spin-bowling display, Tamil Nadu moved to 25 in under 4 overs before losing N Jagadeesan – the leading run-getter of the tournament.
C Hari Nishanth was then joined by Baba Aparajith and the pair kept the scorecard ticking to take Tamil Nadu past fifty in the eighth over.
However, the 41-run stand between the two was broken after Babashafi Pathan dismissed the left-hander for 35 in the 12th over.
Skipper Dinesh Karthik then scored 22 off 16 balls before getting out when Tamil Nadu had reached 101.
Shahrukh Khan, who scored a quickfire 18* off 7 balls, and Baba Aparajith, who scored 29 off 35 balls, then took Tamil Nadu home on the final ball of the 18th over, helping the team to clinch their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Earlier, a spirited bowling performance by Manimaran Siddharth helped Tamil Nadu restrict Baroda to 120/9 in the allotted twenty overs.
Tamil Nadu won by 7 wickets (with 12 balls remaining)
Tamil Nadu 123/3 (C Hari Nishaanth 35, Baba Aparajith 29*; Babashafi Pathan 1/23)
Baroda 120/9 (Vishnu Solanki 49; Atit Sheth 29; Manimaran Siddharth 4/20)
