Ahmedabad, Dec 31 (NationPress) The Punjab opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh secured their place in cricket history with a remarkable partnership during the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Saurashtra on Tuesday at the Gujarat College Cricket Ground in Ahmedabad.
The duo amassed a stunning 298 runs for the first wicket, matching the tournament’s second-highest opening partnership previously set by Bengal’s Sudip Gharami and Abhimanyu Easwaran in 2022.
The partnership, characterized by an aggressive batting style, provided a robust foundation for Punjab's innings. Prabhsimran was the first to reach his century, finishing with 125 runs off 95 balls, displaying his signature flair with 15 boundaries and 3 sixes. His partner, Abhishek, was even more explosive, scoring 170 runs off just 96 deliveries, which included 22 fours and 8 sixes, leaving the Saurashtra bowlers bewildered.
Their sensational partnership propelled Punjab beyond 300 runs in the 32nd over, setting the stage for a substantial total.
Fueled by the momentum from their openers, Punjab concluded their innings at a staggering 424 for five, marking it as the joint-fifth highest score in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, equaling Madhya Pradesh's score of 424 against Nagaland in 2022.
With this achievement, Punjab also became the ninth team in the tournament's history to surpass the 400-run milestone.
The record for the highest total in the competition remains with Tamil Nadu, which scored an astonishing 506/2 against Arunachal Pradesh in 2022.
The partnership between Abhishek and Prabhsimran now stands among the elite collaborations in Indian domestic cricket. The record for the highest opening partnership in the Vijay Hazare Trophy—and across all List A cricket—still belongs to Tamil Nadu’s N. Jagadeesan and B. Sai Sudharsan, who achieved a monumental 416-run partnership in 2022.
