Media365
Swastik Samal on Wednesday produced an awe-inspiring innings to headline Odisha’s Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 opener. Stamping his authority with a stunning double century for Odisha against Saurashtra, the 25-year-old opener smashed 212 runs. Playing at the KSCA Cricket Ground, the batter came up with a performance that will be remembered for a long time.
Odisha were put in to bat first after Saurashtra skipper Harvik Desai won the toss. The start was far from ideal. Early wickets fell quickly, and Odisha were struggling at 59 for 3 inside the first 12 overs. At that stage, the pressure was firmly on the batting side, and a big total looked unlikely.That is when Swastik Samal took charge. Calm under pressure, he decided to build his innings brick by brick. He began cautiously but soon played himself in as the youngster found gaps rather than forcing shots. His confidence grew with every over, and soon he was batting with complete control. Samal reached his half-century in 53 balls and brought up his maiden List A hundred in 104 deliveries.The turning point of the innings was the partnership between Samal and Odisha captain Biplab Samantray. The pair added a huge 261 runs for the fourth wicket. Samantray played an excellent supporting role, having amassed a quick 100 off 91 balls while hitting seven fours and three sixes. Together, they dismantled the Saurashtra bowling attack.His final tally of 212 runs included 21 fours and eight sixes. He was eventually dismissed in the final over, but by then the damage had been done. Odisha finished with an imposing 345 for 6 in their 50 overs.It was his first-ever List A century, and he turned it into a double hundred in style. With this innings, he became only the ninth batter in Vijay Hazare Trophy history to score a double century. His score of 212 is now the joint fourth-highest individual total in the tournament, matching Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 212 from 2019.
Highest individual scores in Vijay Hazare Trophy history
- Narayan Jagadeesan: 277 vs Arunachal Pradesh (2022)
- Prithvi Shaw: 227* vs Puducherry (2021)
- Ruturaj Gaikwad: 220* vs Uttar Pradesh (2022)
- Sanju Samson: 212* vs Goa (2019)
- Swastik Samal: 212 vs Saurashtra (2025)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: 203 vs Jharkhand (2019)
- Karn Kaushal: 202 vs Sikkim (2018)
- Samarth Vyas: 200 vs Manipur (2022)
Samal also broke Odisha’s long-standing List A record, surpassing the previous best of 145 set in 2005. However, with Vishvaraj Jadeja (50), Sammar Gajjar (132), and Chirag Jani (86) putting up some incredible performances, Saurashtra chased down the target of 346 in 48.5 overs and won the match by five wickets.
