Ranji Trophy 2022-23, Punjab's Prabhsimran Singh notches double-century: Details here
The 2022-23 edition of the Ranji Trophy is underway and the opening day witnessed some mind-boggling action. Punjab opener Prabhsimran Singh stole the show with a blistering double-century in the Elite Group D match against Chandigarh. He batted aggressively and scored 202 off just 278 deliveries. His knock was studded with 28 boundaries and a couple of maximums. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
The premier First-Class tournament got underway on Tuesday (December 13). Punjab, who are up against Chandigarh in their opener, lost the toss and were asked to bat first at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Chandigarh's decision turned out to be a disaster as Prabhsimran and Abhishek Sharma added 250 runs for the opening wicket. The latter clocked a hundred as well.
The career-best score for Prabhsimran
This was Prabhsimran's maiden double-century and second three-figure score in FC cricket. The opener, who is standing only in his fourth red-ball game, now boasts 354 runs at 70.8. Notably, his strike rate is in excess of 85 which speaks volumes of his fearless approach and mindset. The 22-year-old would like to come in the eyes of national selectors with his blistering performances.
Prabhsimran has been a highly-rated batter
Prabhsimran's batting prowess didn't take long in bagging the limelight. Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bangalore were involved in a fierce bidding war for the dasher in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 auction. The Punjab-based franchise ended up getting his services for Rs. 4.8 crore. He, however, has played just six games so far, scoring 64 runs.
Sensational run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Prabhsimran was excellent in this year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. The right-handed batter scored 320 runs, including four fifty-plus scores, and at a brilliant strike rate of 141.59. Although he got few starts in this year's Vijay Hazare Trophy as well, the Punjab star returned with underwhelming results. He scored 124 runs in seven games at 20.66 in the List A tournament.
An important conversation with Yuvraj Singh
After failing in this year's VHT, Prabhsimran received words of wisdom from former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. "I was throwing away my starts. Yuvi paji told me that I need to do a little mental adjustment. If I faced three four dots, I used to try and go for a glory shot," Prabhsimran told The Indian Express after the end of day's play.
Century for Abhishek Sharma
As mentioned above, Prabhsimran's opening partner Abhishek also notched up a ton. With the help of 11 boundaries and two sixes, he ended up scoring a 146-ball 100. The southpaw, who slammed his maiden First-Class ton, now owns 680 runs in 14 games. Besides a ton, Abhishek also boasts three half-centuries in the format. Meanwhile, Punjab ended Day 1 at 363/3.
