Delhi’s disappointing domestic season continued to spiral as they suffered a shock 12-run defeat to minnows Tripura in a Group D match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Tuesday. Despite fielding a side stacked with IPL stars, Delhi failed to chase a modest target and slipped to their second loss in four games.

The defeat adds to an already grim season. In the Ranji Trophy, Delhi were earlier thrashed by Jammu and Kashmir—a result that highlighted longstanding issues within the setup. With only two matches left, Delhi now require a miracle to reach the Ranji knock-outs, while their SMAT campaign is also in jeopardy.

DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and secretary Ashok Sharma are likely to face uncomfortable questions regarding team selection, support staff choices, and the appointment of coach Sarandeep Singh, whose tenure has drawn criticism.

Tripura’s Murasingh, Viki Saha stun Delhi

Set a target of 158, Delhi’s batting unit faltered on a slow pitch, finishing at 145/8. Seam-bowling all-rounder Mani Shankar Murasingh led Tripura’s charge with a standout all-round performance. The hardworking domestic veteran smashed 25* off 18 balls—including a six and a four in the final over—before delivering a superb spell of 2/19 with 14 dot balls.

Nicknamed the “Ben Stokes of Tripura,” Murasingh used clever off-cutters and variations to derail Delhi’s chase, removing India A batter Priyansh Arya early and slowing down key players like captain Nitish Rana (45 off 40), Ayush Badoni (14 off 13), and Arya (8 off 10).Off-spinner Viki Saha also made a big impact, varying his lengths and dismissing former KKR skipper Rana via a sharp stumping by keeper Sentu Sarkar.

Dev Padikkal’s blazing ton helps Karnataka crush Tamil Nadu

In another Group D clash, Karnataka registered a crushing 145-run win over Tamil Nadu, powered by Devdutt Padikkal’s scintillating unbeaten 102 off 46 balls. His knock featured 10 fours and six sixes, while BR Sharath (53 off 24) and Ravichandran Smaran (46* off 29) propelled Karnataka to a mammoth 245/3.

Tamil Nadu had no answers in the chase and were bundled out for just 100 in 14.2 overs. Leg-spinners Shreyas Gopal and Praveen Dubey took three wickets each, while Varun Chakravarthy endured a tough outing, conceding 47 runs in four wicketless overs.

(By PTI Inputs)