Riding on a splendid show from two veteran cricketers, Kerala on Sunday tumbled Bihar by nine wickets in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. It all started with S Sreesanth, who scalped four wickets, to help his side bundle the opposition for a mere 148 in 40.2 overs.
What followed next was absolute carnage as Robin Uthappa blasted 87 runs from 32 balls to help his side wrap up the proceedings in just 8.5 overs. Batting at a strike rate of 271.88, the right-handed batsman smashed four boundaries and ten sixes. Sanju Samson also played a quickfire knock of 24 runs from 9 deliveries.
The right-handed batsman found great support from his opening partner Vishnu Vinod, who scored 37 runs from 12 deliveries before getting out in the fifth over. Captain Sanju Samon then followed it up with a blazing 9-ball 24 as Kerala secured an emphatic win against their opposition.
Uthappa's knock was celebrated by his new Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings as the swashbuckling opener will now be seen donning the yellow jersey in the lucrative T20 league.
Add +2 to the Runs! 87* it is! ’s casual sunday mode to be blamed for the mistake! #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/BzxVsqaOtm
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) February 28, 2021
The 35-year-old was traded by Rajasthan Royals to CSK in an all-cash deal. The 35-year-old right-hander from Karnataka had scored just 196 runs in 12 matches in the last IPL in UAE after being picked up by Rajasthan Royals at the last IPL auctions.
Unstoppable Devdutt Padikkal slam third consecutive ton
In the clash between Karnataka and Railways on Sunday, 20-year-old Devdutt Padikkal knocked his third consecutive ton in the ongoing Vijay Hazare season as Karnataka secured a comprehensive 10-wicket win over the Railways.
Royal Challengers hitting the groove in the lead up to the IPL!
P.S. - That's now 3⃣ consecutive centuries for DDP in the Vijay Hazare Trophy #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/7uYrvyX4Pm
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 28, 2021
Batting at a strike-rate of 116, Padikkal smashed 145 from 125 deliveries, which included nine fours and the same number of sixes. He found great support from his skipper and opening partner Ravikumar Samarth, who also scored a century and finished the contest unbeaten on 130 from 118 balls.
The duo's effort saw Karnataka complete a stiff 285-run chase in just 40.3 overs. Meanwhile, Railways opening batsman Pratham Singh also notched up a ton and scored 129 off 138 balls, before being dismissed by J Suchith.
Earlier this week, Padikkal had scored 126 from 138 deliveries to help his side secure a nine-wicket win over Kerala on Friday. He had also played a sensational knock of 152 earlier in the tournament against Odisha.
