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Hardik Pandya is set to bolster the Baroda squad as the team aims to improve on its previous season, in which it finished as the runners-up.
Hardik Pandya to return to domestic cricket (X/@hardikpandya7)
All-rounder Hardik Pandya will turn up for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda, under the leadership of his elder brother, Krunal Pandya. The domestic T20 tournament begins November 23 while the semi-finals and the final will be played on December 13 and 15, respectively.
According to the Times of India, Pandya is set to bolster the Baroda squad as the team aims to improve on its previous season, in which it finished as the runners-up. The ace Indian all-rounder last played in the SMAT in the 2016 edition, but his India commitments didn’t leave a window for him to feature for the domestic side.
On the other hand, Krunal has been in top-notch form in the ongoing domestic season. He led Baroda in the first phase of the Ranji Trophy, leading his team to four victories in five games in Elite Group A. Their famous win over Mumbai was the highlight of Baroda, as they comfortably sit on top of the points table with 27 points.
Krunal has played a crucial role with the bat, amassing 367 runs from seven innings and hitting a hundred and three half-centuries. Before the Ranji Trophy, the southpaw featured in a KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) tournament, scoring a hundred in the final to lead the side to the title.
Baroda lost the SMAT 2023 final to Punjab under Krunal’s leadership. He ended the season as the team’s highest run-getter with 323 runs and 3 fifties. He was effective with the ball as well. Krunal picked 7 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.03.
Baroda in SMAT 2024
Baroda are placed in Group B alongside Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Saurashtra, Karnataka and Sikkim. They open their campaign against Gujarat on Saturday.
Vs Gujarat: Nov 23
Vs Uttarakhand: Nov 25
Vs Tamil Nadu: Nov 27
Vs Tripura: Nov 29
Vs Saurashtra: Dec 1
Vs Karnataka: Dec 3
Vs Sikkim: Dec 5
