Odisha opener Swastik Samal delivered a masterful innings on the opening day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, smashing a magnificent 212 runs against Saurashtra in their Elite Group D encounter at the KSCA Cricket Ground.
The 25-year-old right-hander’s knock, which featured 21 fours and eight sixes, propelled Odisha to a commanding 345/6 in their 50 overs after being put in to bat. This was Samal’s maiden List A century, which he spectacularly converted into his first double hundred, making him only the ninth batter in the tournament’s history to achieve the milestone.
Samal’s 212 now stands as the joint-fourth highest individual score in Vijay Hazare Trophy history, equaling Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 212 for Kerala against Goa in 2019.
Odisha’s innings got off to a shaky start as Saurashtra skipper Harvik Desai elected to bowl first. The team slumped to 59/3 in the 12th over, with early dismissals leaving them in trouble.
Samal, however, held firm and forged a monumental 261-run partnership for the fourth wicket with captain Biplab Samantray. Samantray contributed a brisk 100 off 91 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, before falling in the 47th over.
Samal played with patience initially, reaching his fifty in 53 balls and his hundred in 104 deliveries. He then exploded in the death overs, accelerating effortlessly to dominate the Saurashtra bowlers. His innings came to an end in the final over when he was dismissed by Chirag Jani.
In addition to entering the Vijay Hazare record books, Samal shattered Odisha’s long-standing List A highest individual score. The previous record was 145 by Biswa Mohapatra against Tripura in 2005.
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’s heroics set Odisha up for a strong position in the match, as Saurashtra began their chase cautiously. This performance marks a breakout moment for the Odisha batter in domestic cricket’s premier 50-over competition.
