Vijay Hazare Trophy: Ishan Kishan lights up opening day with a whirlwind 173 run knock, as Jharkhand post 422, highest total in the history of the tournamnent

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Ishan Kishan lights up opening day with a whirlwind 173 run knock, as Jharkhand post 422, highest total in the history of the tournamnent

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan

After a disappointing outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ishan Kishan has got off to a dream start in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Leading Jharkhand by example, Kishan smashed 173 off just 94 balls to kick start his campaign. In the Elite Group B match against Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand put up a humongous score of 422 after losing the toss.

Kishan started off watchfully but after losing his partner Utkarsh Singh in the third over, he turned to his breathtaking shots to stable the ship. The young wicketkeeper got to his fifty off 40 balls before unleashing his full potential on the opposition. An array of scintillating shots saw Kishan reach his fourth List A century off just 74 balls. His knock featured 11 sixes and 19 fours.

Apart from the skipper, Anukul Roy chipped in with a handy 78, while Virat Singh and Sumeet Kumar scored half centuries. Thanks to a team effort, Jharkhand scripted history. 422 is the highest ever total registered in the history of the tournament. In the second innings, Varun Aaron has scalped 4 wickets so far as Jharkhand moves toward a huge victory.

Ishan Kishan eyeing a place in the national side

Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan

He took 12 more deliveries to bring up his 150. Just when he was looking set for a double hundred and more, Kishan was out stumped for 173. Although he missed a well-deserved double century, these are good signs for Jharkhand who had a horrid season in the SMAT. With the likes of Shahbaz Nadeem, Anukul, Aaron and Virat in the side, the eastern state will be a force to reckon.

Furthermore, with the white ball series against England around the corner, the knock will give a huge boost to Kishan’s chances of donning the Indian jersey. While an impressive IPL season has already put him on the radar, a couple of impressive knocks now will only strengthen his case. With the T20 World Cup knocking at the door, this is a great time to put his case forward for the national side.

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