SMAT KOs: It’s Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Mohammed Siraj as Mumbai take on Hyderabad

MUMBAI: A mouth-watering contest between two of India’s leading players — opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and premier pacer Mohammed Siraj — is set to light up the Mumbai-Hyderabad clash as both teams begin their campaigns in the knockout stage (to be played in a Super Four format) of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, Pune, on Friday.Mumbai will be buoyed by the presence of Jaiswal, who smashed his maiden, match-winning ODI century (116 not out off 89 balls) against South Africa in the third and final ODI at Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Siraj, who was rested from the white-ball leg of South Africa’s ongoing tour of India after featuring in all four home Tests this season, will meanwhile be keen to underline his value in the T20 format. The 31-year-old played Hyderabad’s final league match of SMAT, taking 1 for 15 in four overs against Uttar Pradesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, to play a key role in his side’s three-wicket win.Jaiswal, who joined the squad on Thursday, has replaced young opener Ayush Mhatre, currently leading the India Under-19 team in the U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, in the Mumbai side. Mhatre had struck two centuries in the SMAT league stage. Siraj, it is learnt, travelled to Pune from Hyderabad on Thursday and is expected to feature in Friday’s match.Both Mumbai and Hyderabad qualified for the knockouts in style. Mumbai topped Elite Group A with six wins in seven matches to finish with 24 points, while Hyderabad registered five wins in seven games to top Elite Group B with 20 points.

The Mumbai-Hyderabad match will begin at 4:30 pm and will be streamed live on JioHotstar.Mumbai will face Haryana in their second Super Four match at the Dr DY Patil Academy ground in Ambi on December 14, before taking on Rajasthan on December 16 at Gahunje in their final Super Four fixture. The final will be played on December 18.