Double century by Samal fails to save Odisha.

Cricket fans witnessed a heartbreaking thriller in Alur today as the Odisha vs Saurashtra clash in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 ended in a narrow defeat for the state team. Despite posting a massive total of 345/6, Odisha could not defend the score, with Saurashtra chasing it down with 5 wickets in hand and 7 balls to spare.

Swastik Samal's Historic Knock

Odisha won the toss and elected to bat, but the start was shaky. The team found themselves in trouble early on, reduced to 59/3 within the first 12 overs. However, opener Swastik Samal turned the game on its head with a spectacular display of batting. Samal smashed a breathtaking 212 runs off just 169 balls. His innings was studded with 21 boundaries and 8 massive sixes, striking at a rate of 125.44.

He found an able partner in captain Biplab Samantray, who played a captain’s knock of 100 runs off 91 balls. The duo stitched together a monumental partnership that lifted the Odisha cricket team to a commanding total. Samal was eventually dismissed in the final over, but he had already done his job, earning the Player of the Match award despite the loss.

Saurashtra's spirited chase

Chasing a target of 346 is never easy, but Saurashtra approached the innings with aggression. Although Debabrata Pradhan bowling efforts yielded 3 wickets for 73 runs, the opposition batters held their nerve.

Sammar Gajjar played the anchor role for Saurashtra, remaining unbeaten on 132 off 118 balls. He was supported brilliantly by Chirag Jani, who blasted 86 runs from just 55 deliveries. Their partnership took the game away from Odisha in the middle overs.

While Odisha bowlers tried to pull things back, the target proved just within reach for Saurashtra. This high-scoring Odisha vs Saurashtra encounter will be remembered for the individual brilliance of Swastik Samal, even though the result did not go in Odisha's favour.