Abdul Samad creates history in Ranji Trophy with twin tons
The talented Abdul Samad has become the first player from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to score two centuries in a Ranji Trophy match. The remarkable achievement came during J&K's match against Odisha at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Samad's first century was an impressive 127 off just 117 balls, including 6 fours and 9 sixes. He followed it up with an unbeaten 108(108).
Samad's second century defies top-order collapse
J&K could not claim the first-innings lead as Odisha scored 272 in response to their 270. However, Samad showed no signs of stopping. He returned with another quick-fire century to make up for his team's top-order collapse in the second innings. His second ton came off just 105 balls, with J&K declaring for 270/7. As mentioned, Samad became the first J&K player with two centuries in a First-Class match.
Samad's record-breaking performance
Samad's record-breaking performance in the match included a whopping 15 sixes (9 and 6). This was only the third such instance by an Indian in First-Class cricket. Samad's second-innings exploits helping J&K set a daunting target of 269 runs for Odisha with just over two sessions remaining on Day 4.
Journey from J&K to IPL
Samad's aggressive batting style drew the attention of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who signed him for IPL 2020. He has since played 50 matches for SRH over five seasons, scoring over 550 runs with 36 sixes. In his First-Class career, Samad has scored more than 1,400 runs in 25 games, including six centuries. He credits his early success to former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who spotted him during trials at Jammu's Science College Ground in 2018.
