Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik shine on Day I

Kolkata: The 2020-21 Indian domestic season, kept on hold for the Coronavirus pandemic, got off to a cautious start with 10 matches of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament behind played at three cities: Alur near Bengaluru, Kolkata and Vadodara.

A total of six cities with bio-bubbles and 30 elite state teams boasting of an array of top Indian stars who are not a part of the contingent Down Under are taking part in the event. The official T20 event of Indian cricket board, it will also work as a talent-hunting ground for scouts of Indian Premier League (IPL) for the mini-auction to be held on the back of the event.

Suresh Raina grabbed the headlines as he hit a gritty half-century for Uttar Pradesh in their Elite Group A opener against Punjab at Alur in Karnataka. Raina hit 56 form 50 balls but Uttar Pradesh lost the encounter by 11 runs after a late collapse in chase of 135.