Tamil Nadu, the most successful team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) history, have already been eliminated so thus the two-time winners Karnataka as Saurashtra, Gujarat, and Baroda continue to fight a three-way battle for the top spot in the 'group of death'. (More Cricket News)

Who finish where in Group B and other groups will be determined after the conclusion of the 7th-round fixtures of the SMAT on Thursday (December 5, 2024). With many teams on equal points, expect Net Run Rate (NRR) to come into play.

Here's all you need to know about the final group stage fixtures of SMAT 2024.

First thing first, the SMAT format and how teams qualify for the knockouts!

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is India's domestic T20 cricket championship. The 17th edition began on November 23 and the knock-outs from December 9, starting with twin preliminary quarter-finals. SMAT 204 will conclude on December 15.

The 38 teams have been split into three groups of eight, and two groups of seven for the round-robin (each team playing other teams in the same group once). Teams earn four teams for a win and one for tie or no result.

The top-ranked teams (5) along with the best second-placed outfit (1) directly qualify for the quarter-finals. The other four second-placed teams square off in pre-quarters with the two winners completing the last-eight line-up.

SMAT 2024 state of play before final group stage matches

Group A in Rajkot

Rajasthan (+2.686), Bengal (+1.786) and Madhya Pradesh (+1.585) have 20 points each with the former leading the table on Net Run Rate. Holders Punjab (+0.902) can still finish with 20 points and fight for a top-two finish. Punjab take on bottom-placed Meghalaya in their final group match. Hyderabad (8 points, +0.778 NRR), Bihar (8, -1.801) and Mizoram (4, -2.421) are out.

Group B in Indore

Three teams -- Saurashtra (20, +2.044), Gujarat (20, +1.773), and Baroda (20, +0.437) -- are in contention for the top two; while Karnataka are fourth with 12 points and +1.669 NRR. Tamil Nadu (8, +0.191), Uttarakhand (8, -0.488), and Tripura (8, -0.770) are followed by winless Sikkim (-4.774).

Group C in Mumbai

Jharkhand (20, +2.362) and Delhi (20, +1.499) are the favourites in this group, but Uttar Pradesh (16, +2.209) and Jammu & Kashmir (16, +1.155) can still sneak in with final group stage wins. Haryana (12, +2.166), Himachal Pradesh (8, -0.229), Manipur (4, -2.288), and Arunachal Pradesh (0, -7.408) are eliminated.

Group D in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam

Vidarbha have completed their group stage campaign with four wins, one defeat and one no result. They have qualified for the quarter-finals with 18 points and a Net Run Rate of +1.839. Both Chandigarh (12, +0.205) and Assam (12, -2.136) can have a maximum of 16 points each. Railways (10, +0.132), Puducherry (8, -0.809), Odisha (6, +1.732), and Chhattisgarh (6, -0.674) also feature in this very competitive group.

Group E in Hyderabad

Kerala (16, +1.018) have played all their group-stage matches and will know their final standing after the conclusion of the top-of-the-group showdown between leaders Andhra (20, +3.006) and Mumbai (16, +1.330). Services (8, +0.463), Maharashtra (8, -0.620), Goa (4, -1.237), and Nagaland (0, -4.220) are already out of the knock-out reckoning.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, Round 7 Fixtures

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, Round 7: Live Streaming

How to watch SMAT T20 cricket matches?

Live streaming of select matches from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 will be available on the JioCinema app and website, with broadcasts on Sports18 - Khel.