VHT 2023: Priyank Panchal smokes ton in preliminary quarter-final
Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal smoked a fine century against Bengal in the first preliminary quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023. The right-handed batter showcased remarkable application on a tricky surface and ended up scoring 101 off 114 balls. His knock was studded with nine boundaries and a solitary maximum. This was his second successive 90-plus score. Here we look at his stats.
A fine knock from Panchal
Batting first in Rajkot, Gujarat were off to a dismal start as Urvil Patel (9) departed cheaply. Number-three batter Kshitij Patel also departed for seven. Panchal then joined forces with Saurav Chauhan (53) and the duo added 94 runs for the third wicket. Panchal continued to bat well after Chauhan's departure and touched the three-figure mark. He eventually fell to Pradipta Pramanik.
Here are his List A stats
Notably, Panchal missed out on a ton in his preceding outing against Himachal Pradesh as he made 96. Meanwhile, this was Panchal's eighth ton in List A cricket as the tally also includes 21 fifties (HS: 136). Having played 97 games in the format, the 33-year-old has raced to 3,672 runs with his average being over 40.
Panchal's stats in VHT 2023
Panchal looked woefully out of touch in the league stage of VHT 2023 as his first four scores in the event read 16, 3, 17, and 11. Nevertheless, he bounced back with a 96-run knock against HP before shining in the knock-out game. Notably, the winner of the match between Bengal and Gujarat will face Haryana in the quarter-final.
