The opening day of the Duleep Trophy witnessed remarkable performances as Shashwat Rawat and Sanju Samson shone for their respective teams in two thrilling encounters on Thursday.
Baroda batsman Shashwat Rawat scored an unbeaten 122 runs, laced with 15 fours, to help rescue India A from a precarious position of 36 for 5 against India C. Anshul Kamboj was instrumental for India C, striking early to dismiss both openers, Pratham Singh (6) and Mayank Agarwal (6), while Tilak Varma (5), Riyan Parag (2), and Kumar Kushagra (0) also fell cheaply.
The innings was revived by Rawat, who formed a crucial 87-run partnership with Shams Mulani for the sixth wicket. Despite India C claiming two more wickets during the day, Rawat’s steady presence allowed India A to push past the 200-run mark before stumps, concluding the day at 224 for 7.
Meanwhile, Samson led India D’s charge with a scintillating unbeaten 89, as they finished Day 1 at 306 for 5 against India B. Samson’s innings featured 10 fours and three sixes, building on a solid 105-run opening stand with Devdutt Padikkal and Srikar Bharat, both of whom reached half-centuries.
Rahul Chahar was the standout bowler for India B, taking three wickets, including that of skipper Shreyas Iyer for a duck. However, Samson and Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain combined for a vital 90-run partnership, ensuring India D breached the 300-run mark by the end of the day.
Brief Scores
India A 224/7 (Shashwat Rawat 122*, Shams Mulani 44; Anshul Kamboj 3-40, Vijaykumar Vyshak 2-33) vs India C
Brief Scores
India D 306/5 (Sanju Samson 89, Ricky Bhui 56; Rahul Chahar 3-60) vs India B
