Punjab’s opening duo Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh etched their names in the record books with a monumental partnership during their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Saurashtra on Tuesday at the Gujarat Faculty Cricket Floor in Ahmedabad. The pair added a brilliant 298 runs for the first wicket, equaling the second-highest opening partnership of the tournament set by Bengal’s Sudip Gharami and Abhimanyu Easwaran in 2022.
Abhishek and Prabhsimran’s partnership, based on an aggressive approach, laid a solid foundation for Punjab’s innings. Prabhsimran was the first to reach his century, eventually scoring 125 runs off 95 balls, displaying his trademark style with 15 boundaries and three sixes. His partner, Abhishek, was even more dominant, scoring 170 runs in just 96 deliveries. His innings included 22 fours and eight towering sixes, leaving the Saurashtra bowlers with no answers.
His electrifying stand propelled Punjab past 300 in the 32nd over, ensuring the team was on course for a massive completion.
Riding on the momentum created by the early matches, Punjab finished their innings with a colossal 424 for five. This total is now the fifth-highest in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, equaling Madhya Pradesh’s 424 against Nagaland in 2022.
Punjab also became the ninth team in the tournament’s history to surpass the 400-run mark.
The record for the highest complete in the competition still belongs to Tamil Nadu, who scored an unprecedented 506/2 against Arunachal Pradesh in 2022.
Abhishek and Prabhsimran’s stance adds to a list of elite partnerships in Indian domestic cricket. The record for the highest opening partnership in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and in all of List A cricket, remains the 416-run stand of Tamil Nadu’s N. Jagadeesan and B. Sai Sudharsan, achieved in 2022.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated channel.)
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