India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant scored an unbeaten 67 off 37 balls, leading Delhi to a commanding eight-wicket win over Services in the 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy match at the BCCI Centre of Excellence
Ground 2 on Saturday.
Captain Pant’s explosive innings, which included four boundaries and six sixes, coincided with the national selectors’ announcement of India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11 in Vadodara.
Delhi’s bowlers laid the foundation for the victory by dismissing Services for 178 in 42.5 overs. Seam bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana took 4-47, while pacer Prince Yadav claimed 3-28. In response, Delhi comfortably chased the target in just 19.4 overs, with left-handed opener Priyansh Arya smashing 72 not out off 45 deliveries, featuring nine fours and three sixes.
Despite losing Sarthak Ranjan (4) and Nitish Rana (32), Arya and Pant shared a match-winning 85-run partnership off 51 balls, sealing Delhi’s dominant win. Pulkit Narang and Nitin Yadav took a wicket each for Services but couldn’t stop the flow of runs as Delhi reached the target with ease.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh captured his third five-wicket haul in List A cricket as Punjab thrashed Sikkim by 10 wickets at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur. Arshdeep recorded figures of 5-34 from 10 overs, bowling out Sikkim for just 75 in 22.2 overs.
Punjab’s decision to field first paid off immediately, though Shubman Gill was unavailable at the last moment due to food poisoning. Sukhdeep Bajwa removed openers Amit Rajera and Ashish Thapa, while Arshdeep tore through the middle order with a devastating five-for, and leg-spinner Mayank Markande finished off the tail.
The modest target posed no challenge for Punjab’s openers, who completed the chase in just 6.2 overs. Prabhsimran Singh hammered 53 off 26 balls, with seven fours and two sixes, while Harnoor Singh remained unbeaten on 21.
Vijay Hazare Trophy – Brief Scores:
Services 178 all out in 42.5 overs (Vikas Hathwala 26, Raj Bahadur Pal 25; Harshit Rana 4-47, Prince Yadav 3-28) lost to Delhi 182/2 in 19.4 overs (Priyansh Arya 72, Rishabh Pant 67 not out; Pulkit Narang 1-34, Nitin Yadav 1-41) by eight wickets
Sikkim 75 all out in 22.2 overs (Palzor 13; Arshdeep Singh 5-34) lost to Punjab 81/0 in 6.2 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 53 not out, Harnoor Singh 22 not out) by ten wickets
(With inputs from Agencies)
