When Jharkhand’s Pankaj Kumar flicked Ayush Goyal for a six off the first ball of the 19th over to take his team to victory at the DY Patil Academy ground in Ambi, he was perhaps unaware of the piece of history he had created as he walked towards his partner, Kumar Kushagra, at the other end. The strike over fine leg had helped Jharkhand chase down Punjab’s mammoth target of 236 runs with 11 balls to spare and six wickets in hand, thereby breaking the record for the biggest run chase in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history, going past Mumbai’s 230 runs against Andhra in 2024. It was also their eighth straight win in this year’s competition, having won each of their seven matches in the group phase. The foundation to the chase was laid by captain Ishan Kishan, who made 47 runs off 23 balls, putting on 60 runs in 29 balls with Kushagra before falling to Ramandeep Singh. Kushagra drove the innings forward after Kishan’s dismissal, showcasing exceptional off-side play. The right-hander used …