Record-Breaking Performances Mark Opening Day of Vijay Hazare Trophy
Spectacular Centuries Light Up Vijay Hazare Trophy
The opening day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) was nothing short of thrilling, featuring remarkable centuries from India's ODI stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, alongside an explosive 84-ball 190 from Vaibhav Suryavanshi. A staggering total of 22 centuries were recorded, setting the tournament off to an exhilarating start as batters made significant contributions to the record books.
Suryavanshi's innings against Arunachal Pradesh not only made him the youngest List-A centurion at just 14 years old but also showcased his talent. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's 131 runs off 101 balls led Delhi to a four-wicket victory in Bengaluru, and Rohit Sharma's impressive 155 not out from 94 balls propelled Mumbai to a successful chase against Sikkim.
In the match at Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rohit was the center of attention as he dominated the Sikkim bowling attack, scoring 155 runs with a strike rate of 164.89, including 18 fours and nine sixes. His teammates Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Musheer Khan enjoyed the show from the non-striker's end.
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In Bengaluru, Delhi opted to bowl first, facing a challenging target of 299 runs set by Andhra Pradesh, thanks to Ricky Bhui's impressive 122 runs off 105 balls. Simarjeet Singh's five-wicket haul was a standout performance for Delhi. Virat Kohli, with his 14 fours and three sixes, anchored the innings, forming crucial partnerships with Priyansh Arya and Nitish Rana, leading Delhi to victory with four wickets remaining.
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During his innings, Virat Kohli became the second Indian, after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, to surpass 16,000 List-A runs, marking his 58th List-A century.
The day also witnessed a remarkable display of batting in the Plate Group match between Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh, where Suryavanshi's century came off just 36 balls, making it the second-fastest List A century by an Indian. His 190 runs included 16 fours and five sixes, boasting a strike rate over 226. His captain, Sakibul Jani, also shone with a blistering 128 not out off 40 balls, contributing to Bihar's record total of 574/6, the highest in List A history. Arunachal Pradesh struggled, collapsing for 177 all out.
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The domestic circuit continued to deliver excitement, particularly in the Group A match between Jharkhand and Karnataka. Ishan Kishan's blistering 33-ball century, the second-fastest by an Indian in List A, helped Jharkhand post 412 runs. Karnataka's chase was led by Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 147 runs, as they achieved the second-highest chase in List A history.
Tamil Nadu's innings, bolstered by Pradosh Paul and skipper N Jagadeesan, resulted in a total of 310 runs, which proved too much for Puducherry, who were bowled out for 209.
In another notable match, Odisha's Swastik Samal scored a remarkable 212 runs, marking one of the highest scores in the tournament's history, while Saurashtra successfully chased down the target with five wickets remaining.
The clash between Punjab and Maharashtra featured impressive performances from both sides, with Punjab setting a target of 347 runs. Despite a solid start, Maharashtra fell short, ending their innings at 296 runs.
In Group B, Vidarbha's Dhruv Shorey and Aman Mokhade both scored centuries, leading their team to a total of 382 runs against Bengal, who managed to chase it down with a strong batting display.
Lastly, Madhya Pradesh successfully defended their total of 288 runs against Rajasthan, while Kerala's Baba Aparajith and Vishnu Vinod led their team to a convincing victory over Tripura.