Watch: Dhoni's new CSK teammate shines with fifer in SMAT

NEW DELHI: Right-arm leggie Shreyas Gopal, who will be sharing dressing rooms with former India captain MS Dhoni in the coming Indian Premier League (IPL), led Karnataka to a dominant victory over Sikkim in the

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

on Friday, taking a sensational five-wicket haul to dismiss Sikkim for just 82 runs.
Gopal’s exceptional figures of 5/13 in four overs helped reduce Sikkim to a modest total, with only Ashish Thapa coming up with 18 runs, the highest for Sikkim.
Gopal’s relentless bowling, coupled with support from Vidyadhar Patil (3/10), restricted Sikkim's batting lineup, which crumbled under pressure.
Sikkim's innings ended in the 18.2 over, leaving Karnataka with a small target to chase.

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In reply, Karnataka raced to the target, chasing down Sikkim's total with ease in just 5.4 overs.
Manish Pandey’s blistering 30 off 13 balls led the charge, while KL Shrijith contributed with a quickfire 37 off 13 balls.
Karnataka lost just two wickets, with Mayank Agarwal falling early, and Shrijith was dismissed by Mohammad Saptula. Karnataka finished with a commanding 86/2, winning by 8 wickets.
Shreyas Gopal's exceptional all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award, as he not only dominated with the ball but also ensured Karnataka maintained control throughout the game.

His spell was a key factor in Sikkim's downfall, and the win helped Karnataka continue their strong campaign in the tournament.
Besides the Karnataka fans, Chennai Super Kings (

CSK

) aficionados must've been overjoyed by his performance after the IPL franchise snapped up Gopal for his base price of 30 lakh during the two-day-long 2025 mega-auction.