TNCA XI secured a dominant victory over Mumbai by 286 runs in the ongoing Buchi Babu Tournament, advancing to the semi-finals on August 30, 2024.

Chasing a daunting target of over 500 runs, Mumbai’s second innings ended at 223, with Shams Mulani leading the effort with a top score of 68. Mumbai’s Indian stars, including Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan, struggled once more, while Suryakumar Yadav sat out due to an injury.

Sarfaraz Khan was dismissed for a duck, and Shreyas Iyer managed just 22 runs before getting out in a concerning manner, highlighting his ongoing difficulty with short-pitched deliveries.

Shreyas Iyer’s struggles with the short ball have been well-documented, impacting his Test career with India. His vulnerability to this type of delivery was recently exposed during the South Africa tour and in limited-overs matches.

In this instance, Achyuth CV, a right-arm pacer from TNCA XI, delivered a short ball from around the wicket. Iyer attempted a pull shot but was caught by R Sai Kishore, who was strategically positioned on the leg side.

The key Indian players in the visiting team struggled in the first innings as well, with Iyer, Suryakumar, and Sarfaraz scoring just two, 30, and six runs respectively.

As for Suryakumar Yadav, he did not take the crease due to a reported hand injury. However, it has been confirmed that the injury is not serious, as he seemed fine afterward and may have been resting as a precaution.