Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batter Abdul Samad achieved a historic feat as he scored twin centuries in the ongoing Ranji Trophy game against Odisha. The Jammu and Kashmir batter scored 127 runs in the first innings and then followed it by a brilliant 108* in the second innings. He became the first Jammu & Kashmir batter to score twin centuries in domestic first-class cricket.
Samad is known for his aggressive style of batting in the IPL but hasn’t had a lot of success in the Indian Premier League as he bats way down the order to make an impact with the bat. Despite this, he has shown glimpses of his abilities and has the potential to become an integral part of any batting unit with the bat.
Abdul Samad’s centuries came at a crucial time when his side was struggling with their batting. In the first innings, Jammu and Kashmir were 58-4 and Samad’s heroics with the bat helped the side to a respectable total of 270.
The match ended in a draw but the 22-year-old made sure that his team stayed in the game. He was the only batter from his side who got runs in this game, be it the first innings or the second.
Abdul Samad regained his form at the right time
Samad wasn’t in the best of forms coming into this game but this timely knock just ahead of the IPL retention deadline. With the mega auction coming up in November 2024, he would want to score as many runs as possible before that. It seems unlikely for him to get retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad but as he’s an uncapped player the franchise might want to back him.
He has 577 runs in 39 innings at an average of 19.20 and his strike rate is 146.10 in his IPL career. As mentioned earlier, he bats a bit low to make an impact but he’s a utility player who can bat aggressively, give an over or two from his leg spin and is a live wire in the field. The last two seasons in the IPL have been the best two seasons for him.
Time will tell whether SRH retains him or not but with the value he brings to a side, there are high chances of him getting picked in the upcoming mega auction.
