Salman Nizar turned the Greenfield Stadium in Trivandrum into a cauldron of fireworks with a whirlwind 86 not out from just 26 deliveries, single-handedly
powering Calicut Glob Stars past Trivandrum Royals in the Kerala Cricket League on Saturday (August 30).
The southpaw's innings, decorated with 12 towering sixes and a strike rate above 330, will go down as one of the most ferocious performances in the league's history.
Walking in when Calicut were reeling at 76 for 4 in the 14th over, Nizar quickly changed the course of the match. By the start of the 18th over, the scoreboard had crawled to 115, but what followed was pure carnage. Facing Basil Thampi, the left-hander launched six consecutive deliveries into the stands, producing a 30-run over that swung the momentum drastically. He then carried on the assault in the penultimate over bowled by Abhijith Praveen, where wides, a no-ball, and five more massive sixes added another 40 runs to the total, taking Calicut to 186. Salman remained unbeaten, having orchestrated a jaw-dropping turnaround that stunned the Royals and delighted the Trivandrum crowd.
This blazing knock serves as a fitting farewell for Nizar in KCL 2025 before he links up with the South Zone camp ahead of the Duleep Trophy. His form could not be more timely, especially after narrowly missing an IPL entry earlier this year.
CSK didn't give Salman Nizar a Chance in IPL 2025
Despite being invited for trials by Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2025, Nizar was overlooked in the final selection. Reflecting on that experience in a recent interaction with MyKhel, he had said he doesn't dwell too much on setbacks. The 28-year-old explained that while the CSK opportunity was special, he views it as motivation to keep improving and prove himself at bigger stages. He also mentioned being focused on consistency across formats, believing that chances in tournaments like the Duleep Trophy and strong domestic outings could pave the way back into IPL circles.
With this innings, Nizar has surely given IPL scouts plenty to think about ahead of the 2026 auctions. If Saturday's spectacle is anything to go by, the Kerala batter might just be on the brink of his long-awaited breakthrough at the IPL level.
