Photo via The Hindu

Ranji Trophy: Saharan’s unbeaten ton drives Punjab’s innings

Punjab’s Ranji Trophy campaign received a major boost on Sunday as captain Uday Saharan delivered a commanding century to steer his team away from early collapse against Chhattisgarh. After Vihaan Malhotra and Harnoor Pannu fell quickly—both dismissed inside the first 55 runs—Chhattisgarh’s left-arm duo of Dharmendra Jadeja and Ajay Mandal looked threatening, restricting Punjab to 68 for three in 51 overs.

Saharan, however, turned the tide with a fluent 106 off 168 balls, featuring a mix of sweeps and slog sweeps to dismantle the opposition’s attack. His 130-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh (62) stabilized the innings, while Shubman Gill’s brief return ended abruptly as Mandal trapped him LBW in his fifth delivery.

Punjab finished the day on 269 for four, with Salil Arora’s unbeaten 38 providing late support as Jadeja and Mandal accounted for four wickets apiece between them. The match at New PCA Stadium saw Punjab’s top order recover from a shaky start, thanks to Saharan’s aggressive yet composed batting.

Up nextCricket· 19m ago

Ranji Trophy: Rinku Singh makes case for Test callup, hits 2nd hundred of season