Vihaan Malhotra Scores Century on Ranji Trophy Debut
· Sports · Indian Express, Sportstar
Vihaan Malhotra, a 19-year-old from Punjab, scored a century in his First-Class debut against Assam in the Ranji Trophy match held at New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on October 13, 2026. Opening the innings, he formed a 137-run partnership with Harnoor Singh (54) and later added 58 runs with skipper Uday Saharan, helping Punjab reach 287 for 5 in reply to Assam's 373. His innings included 11 fours and came after he had been part of India's Under-19 World Cup-winning squad earlier in the year. Malhotra had previously impressed with 277 runs in two Youth Test matches in England and 243 runs in five Youth ODIs before being selected for the junior World Cup, where he scored 240 runs including a hundred against Zimbabwe and took five wickets. He credited his conversation with Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik for helping him prepare for the transition from junior to senior cricket.
Why it matters
This performance marks a promising start for Malhotra in senior cricket, addressing concerns about the progression of Under-19 World Cup players to higher levels. It provides a boost to Punjab's batting lineup in the absence of regular opener Prabhsimran Singh, who is on India A duty.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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