Vijay Hazare Trophy: Prabhsimran Singh Hits 88 as Punjab Gain Upper Hand Against Madhya Pradesh

MP, Jan 13 : The second quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 got underway with Group C toppers Punjab taking on a resilient Madhya Pradesh side led by Rajat Patidar and current captain Venkatesh Iyer. Punjab, riding high on momentum from the group stage, relied on their aggressive opening pair to set the tone.

Prabhsimran Singh stole the spotlight with a composed 88 off 85 balls, featuring 10 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 107.50, before being caught by Saransh Jain off Kuldeep Sen. Opening in the absence of Abhishek Sharma, who is preparing for the India vs New Zealand T20I series starting January 21, Prabhsimran’s fluent knock gave Punjab a firm grip on the match. Naman Dhir followed next at the crease.

Partnering him, Harnoor Singh contributed 51 runs off 71 balls, including 7 fours and a six, helping Punjab build a strong foundation. Their smart and steady approach frustrated Madhya Pradesh’s bowlers and highlighted Prabhsimran’s dominance at the top.

Punjab played without Abhishek Sharma, while Madhya Pradesh relied on the leadership of Venkatesh Iyer and IPL-winning captain Rajat Patidar.

Playing XIs – Quarter-final (Punjab vs Madhya Pradesh)

Punjab: Prabhsimran Singh (w/c), Harnoor Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, Krish Bhagat, Sukhdeep Bajwa, Mayank Markande, Gurnoor Brar

Madhya Pradesh: Yash Dubey, Himanshu Mantri (w), Venkatesh Iyer (c), Rajat Patidar, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Tripuresh Singh, Shubham Sharma, Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya, Aryan Pandey, Kuldeep Sen