Ishan Kishan wrecks carnage in Vijay Hazare opener, smashes 173 runs off 94 balls vs MP

Carrying forward his form from the IPL 2020, young wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan wreaked havoc upon Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, as he led Jharkhand to a massive 324-run victory in their first game. Playing away from home at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Kishan tormented Madhya Pradesh bowlers, sparing no one as he played a brilliant innings of 173 runs off 94 balls. The 22-year-old captain led his team from the front as he smacked 19 fours and 11 sixes at a strike rate of 184.04 to set up a target of 423 for Madhya Pradesh to chase. 

As a result of his wreckage against Madhya Pradesh, Ishan Kishan notched up the third-highest score by a wicketkeeper-captain in List A cricket on Saturday. After electing to bat first, Jharkhand had already lost two wickets within the first 20 overs, but that did not help in slowing Ishan Kishan down as he brought up his century in just 74 deliveries. The swashbuckling opener was eventually dismissed by Gaurav Yadav. However, a quickfire innings from Anukul Roy ensured that Jharkhand finished with 422 runs on the scoreboard off their 50 overs. 

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Aaron picks 6 wickets

After Ishan's blitz, it was speedster Varun Aaron who took the matter into his hands. The speed gun rattled Madhya Pradesh batsmen with his fiery spell as he picked up 6 wickets within 5.4 overs. The other four wickets were shared between Rahul Shukla, Shahbaz Nadeem and Bal Krishna as Madhya Pradesh was bundled up for just 98 runs handing Jharkhand a massive 324-run victory. 

Here's how Twitter reacted to Ishan Kishan's carnage: 

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Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic one-day competition in India, kicked off on Saturday with players looking to get back on the field after shining in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The sides have been divided into six Elite A, B, C, D and E and the Plate Group. The Plate Group's matches will be played across the different locations in Tamil Nadu while the Elite Groups' games will be held in Surat, Indore, Bangalore, Jaipur and Kolkata respectively.

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Last year's runners-up Tamil Nadu, who won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champions in January are in Group B while defending champions Karnataka are in Group C. The quarter-final will be played on March 8 and 9 respectively, while the semi-final will take place on March 11. The final match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy is scheduled for March 14.

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