Picture Credit: Twitter
It looks like Christmas came one day late in Indian cricket as fans were treated with some festive double delight on Sunday. While Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul got their side off to a solid start against South Africa in Centurion, something extremely special happened in the domestic circuit.
In the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22, it looked like mighty Tamil Nadu were running away with the title after Dinesh Karthik's century guided the Men in Yellow to a huge score of 314 in first innings. But against all odds, Himachal Pradesh scripted history!
Rishi Dhawan's side batted brilliantly as Shubham Arora's unbeaten century and captain's late cameo towards the end meant that HP were 11 runs ahead when umpires stopped play for bad light. And as the match officially ended, the underdogs were crowned champions for the first time ever in domestic cricket in India.
It was indeed a fitting end to the underdog story as the young side went on to beat a star-studded Tamil Nadu side in the final, against all odds. Without a doubt, a win for the ages!
The Himachal players were expectedly quite excited after winning a historic title as they were seen singing and dancing after the match during their celebrations. These are the sights which just reveal the real delight and happiness of the players who were truly unbelievable throughout the course of the tournament.
The netizens were also quick to hail the heroes of the finale. HP captain Himachal Pradesh was being praised by everyone as the all-rounder finished the tournament as the second-best player in both batting and bowling departments, a very rare feat to achieve.
Meanwhile, Shubham Arora was also appreciated by people for his big knock on the big day while Shahrukh Khan, who played another explosive cameo, was termed as find of the tournament for his consistent power-hitting lower down the order.
As Himachal Pradesh lifted the trophy in Jaipur, the whole group of players etched themselves in the history books of Indian domestic cricket forever. An image which will inspire so many youngsters to take up the sport of cricket going forward! What an achievement! What a day!