Vijay Hazare Trophy: Swastik Samal Creates History With 212 for Odisha

Swastik Samal etched his name into Indian domestic cricket history with a stunning 212 off 169 balls for Odisha against Saurashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Alur on Wednesday.

The knock made Samal the first Odisha batter in List A history to score a double century, marking a landmark moment for the state side. His innings also became the fifth-highest individual score in Vijay Hazare Trophy history, surpassing the 203 scored by Yashasvi Jaiswal for Mumbai in 2019.

Samal’s monumental effort powered Odisha to a formidable 345 for 6 in their allotted 50 overs, putting Saurashtra under immediate pressure in the group-stage encounter.

Opening the batting, Samal showed composure early before Odisha suffered a mini-collapse, slipping to 59 for 3 in 11.5 overs with the early loss of Om, Sandeep Pattanaik and Govind Poddar. From there, the 25-year-old anchored the innings and launched a remarkable recovery alongside captain Biplab Samantaray.

The duo stitched together a match-defining 261-run partnership, with Samantaray contributing a well-compiled century while Samal dominated the scoring, adding 156 runs during the stand. Forced to bat through to the death overs, Samal balanced strike rotation with aggressive stroke play, punishing both pace and spin.

Samal eventually fell on the fourth ball of the final over, but by then the damage was complete. His innings featured 21 fours and eight sixes, underlining his control and power throughout the knock. The double hundred came in just his 14th List A appearance, making him the 14th Indian cricketer to achieve the feat in the format.

The innings carried added significance after Samal went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction, where he was listed alongside teammate Rajesh Mohanty. His performance in Alur stands as a strong statement of his potential at the domestic level.

Highest individual scores in Vijay Hazare Trophy history:

• N 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)

Samal’s historic knock adds another memorable chapter to the Vijay Hazare Trophy and firmly places him among elite List A performers in Indian cricket.