Pacer KM Asif continued his dream domestic run with a stunning five-wicket haul, guiding Kerala to a 15-run upset win over defending champions Mumbai in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group A clash in Lucknow on Thursday.

The defeat was Mumbai’s first in five matches, though they still sit atop the group with 16 points. Kerala, meanwhile, climbed to third with 12 points, level with Andhra, who remain ahead only on net run rate, with this being their third win of the season.

Led by Shardul Thakur and featuring India stars Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, Mumbai were expected to dominate, but collapsed to 163 all out in 19.4 overs chasing Kerala’s total of 179.

Kerala’s innings was set up by skipper Sanju Samson, who recently made headlines for his big-money move from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed a blazing 46 off 28 balls with eight fours and a six, giving Kerala early momentum.

Despite a wobble at 58 for 2, Vishnu Vinod (63) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (32) steadied the innings with a crucial partnership. A late flourish came from Sharafuddeen, who hammered 35 off just 15 balls*, pushing Kerala to a competitive total.

Mumbai’s chase initially looked on track. After an early setback, Ajinkya Rahane (32 off 18) and Sarfaraz Khan (52 off 40) added 80 for the second wicket, putting the champions in control at 99 for 3.

But the game flipped dramatically when Asif returned for his final spell. Bowling the 18th over, he removed Sairaj Patil (13), Suryakumar Yadav (32) and Shardul Thakur (0), triggering a collapse. He later wrapped up the tail in the final over, finishing with 5/25, one of the standout bowling spells of the tournament so far.