Who is Swastik Samal who scored 212 in Vijay Hazare Trophy opening day?

While all the spotlights were on the matches of Delhi and Mumbai, respectively, because of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, an uncapped Indian batter, Swastik Samal, who went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction, entered his name in the record book by smashing a double hundred for Odisha on the opening day of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT 2025-26). 

With the knock of 212, Samal is now the 8th batter in VHT to smash a double-hundred. N Jagadeesan (277), Prithvi Shaw (227*), Ruturaj Gaikwad (220*), Sanju Samson (212*), Yashasvi Jaiswal (203), KV Kaushal (202), and SB Vyas (200) were the other players in the list who marked their talents by scoring a double ton each. 

Samal's 212 off 169 went in vain as Saurashtra chased down the target of 346 runs successfully with 7 balls to spare. A total of 692 runs were scored at the Alur KSCA Cricket Ground in Karnataka. Sammar Gajjar, with an unbeaten 132-run knock, was the highest individual run-getter for Saurashtra. But the Man of the Match award went to Swastik Samal for his brilliant batting display. 

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Swastik Samal, 25, who made his T20I debut against Mizoram in February 2019, has scored 362 runs in 13 T20Is at a strike rate of 160.88, including one century and two half-centuries. He has 686 runs in 12 matches, with two centuries and three half-centuries in first-class cricket. 

Highest individual scores in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy:

• Narayan Jagadeesan: 277 vs Arunachal Pradesh, 2022
• Prithvi Shaw: 227* vs Pondicherry, 2021
• Ruturaj Gaikwad: 220* vs Uttar Pradesh, 2022
• Sanju Samson: 212* vs Goa, 2019
• Swastik Samal: 212 vs Saurashtra, 2025