Vishvaraj Jadeja's 165* sinks Punjab as Saurashtra reach final

A stunning century from Vishvaraj Jadeja powered Saurashtra to the Vijay Hazare Trophy final. Jadeja's second ton in three games helped Saurashtra chase down 292 with ease, rendering Anmolpreet Singh's century and Prabhsimran Singh's 87 for Punjab futile.

Punjab started positively, reaching 55/0 in the PowerPlay before Harnoor Pannu's run out. While they didn't lose another wicket for nearly 20 overs, Anmolpreet took time to settle, with Prabhsimran providing momentum through regular boundaries. Their century stand ended with Chirag Jani's return to the attack, but Anmolpreet then accelerated, hitting boundaries freely. However, losing Naman Dhir and Nehal Wadhera off consecutive deliveries hampered Punjab's progress.

Anmolpreet, partnering with Ramandeep Singh, added crucial boundaries in the slog overs to complete a 103-ball century, putting Punjab in command. Despite this, they fell short by 20 runs as Chetan Sakariya ran through the lower order, finishing with four wickets. In hindsight, an extra 20-25 runs might not have mattered given Jadeja's batting.

Jadeja started cautiously, scoring 15 off the first four overs, before attacking Gurnoor Brar. The openers then tore into Krish Bhagat, conceding 23 runs in his first over. With Harvik Desai matching Jadeja's intensity, Saurashtra raced to 92 in the PowerPlay. Both batters reached milestones effortlessly, with bowling changes proving ineffective. Saurashtra reached 151/0 in 20 overs, leaving Punjab needing a special bowling effort.

Punjab eventually broke the opening stand, dismissing Desai for 64, but Jadeja continued his assault, reaching a century off just 74 balls. Prerak Mankad joined the fray as boundaries flowed freely. With victory assured, Jadeja finished unbeaten on 165 off 127 balls, while Mankad passed fifty, sealing the win with 63 balls to spare.

Brief scores: Punjab 291 in 50 overs (Anmolpreet Singh 100, Prabhsimran Singh 87; Chetan Sakariya 4/60) lost to Saurashtra 293/1 in 39.3 overs (Vishvaraj Jadeja 165*, Harvik Desai 64, Prerak Mankad 52*) by 9 wickets.