Shubham Pundir's Historic Century Highlights Ranji Trophy Final Against Karnataka
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Hubli, Feb 25 (NationPress) Shubham Pundir, the Jammu and Kashmir batsman, expressed his determination to seize the moment and extend his innings after achieving a remarkable century against Karnataka during the Ranji Trophy Final held at the Hubli Cricket Ground.
Pundir made history by becoming the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to score a century in a Ranji Trophy Final. He reached his hundred off 186 balls and shared a significant 139-run stand with opener Yawer Hassan, who contributed 88 runs.
"At this moment, I honestly can’t grasp the enormity of it all. It's a unique occasion. I never imagined I would score a century in a final like this. Opportunities like this don’t come often. My primary goal was to relish the experience and bat for as long as I could. That was my objective; to remain at the crease as long as possible," Pundir shared in a video released by BCCI Domestic on Wednesday.
Pundir also elaborated on his decision to accelerate his scoring after reaching 90 and finishing his century with a six. "There was no pressure; there’s a backstory. In my U-19 days, I was dismissed on 96 after facing 4-5 maidens, so my mindset since then has been to get to a hundred as quickly as possible when I’m in the 90s," he explained.
He also discussed his approach that enabled him to cope with the early seam movement from Karnataka's seasoned bowlers.
"My focus was on playing as close to my body as possible, particularly leaving balls outside the off stump. That was the strategy—playing straight whenever possible. I think I hit an early straight drive, which boosted my confidence. The emphasis was on maintaining discipline and playing straight," he noted.
Pundir was dismissed at the start of the second day after being trapped by Vidyadhar Patil and caught at mid-wicket. He concluded his innings with 121 runs, including 12 fours and two sixes.