Mushtaq Ali Trophy – Challenges are not new for Kumar Kushagra. In difficult conditions, the top-order batsman has time and again bailed Jharkhand out of trouble.

But by his own admission, one of his best innings came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League match against Punjab on Friday, where he made the mammoth target easy to chase with an unbeaten 86 off 42 balls. Chasing 236, Kushagra hit fours and sixes to help Jharkhand win with 11 balls to spare and achieve the highest target ever in the history of the tournament. On the ‘sticky’ surface of the DY Patil Academy ground at Ambi, it was not easy to bat, but the youngster held his own and kept the noise down.

“Initially, the wicket was a bit sticky, but as a team, we expected things to improve in the second innings. But we did not expect Punjab to score 234, so when we set out to chase, the plan was to ensure that the top three batsmen stay there, because to win such games, you need contributions from both senior and junior players,” Kushagra told The Hindu on Saturday. After winning all their group league games, the team was full of confidence, and with Ishan Kishan providing a steady start to the team, Kushagra’s job was to ensure that he batted till the end.

“Earlier, when I was younger in the team, I used to think a lot about how to play the game, and what shots to play, and that ultimately adds a lot of pressure. But now, I just play as per the situation rather than thinking about Plan A or Plan B. If you can play as per the situation, it really helps,” said the 21-year-old, who has scored 316 runs in the SMAT so far.