Maharashtra Vs Punjab Highlights, VHT 2025-26: PUN Crush MAH With 51-Run Victory

Punjab: Prabhsimran Singh, Harnoor Singh, Uday Saharan, Jashanpreet Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Salil Arora(w), Abhishek Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Ramandeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Gurnoor Brar, Raghu Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, Gaurav Chaudhary, Naman Dhir, Krish Bhagat, Sukhdeep Bajwa

Maharashtra: Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, Sachin Dhas, Ankit Bawne, Saurabh Nawale(w), Jalaj Saxena, Vicky Ostwal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Rajneesh Gurbani, Satyajeet Bachhav, Rahul Tripathi, Nikhil Naik, Pradeep Dadhe, Prashant Solanki, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Siddharth Mhatre

Despite having Shubman Gill in the squad, Punjab have gone with his opening partner and the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world, Abhishek Sharma. Gill is unlikely to play all the VHT matches as he'll be seen leading the Indian side in the upcoming New Zealand ODI series. However, he would like to get back to his form by perfomring in India's premier 50-over competition.

Maharashtra have won the toss and opted to bowl first. Shubman Gill misses out for Punjab.

Punjab (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Abhishek Sharma(c), Anmolpreet Singh, Salil Arora, Naman Dhir, Ramandeep Singh, Krish Bhagat, Harpreet Brar, Sukhdeep Bajwa, Gurnoor Brar, Raghu Sharma

Maharashtra (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, Ankit Bawne, Nikhil Naik(w), Ramakrishna Ghosh, Jalaj Saxena, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vicky Ostwal, Pradeep Dadhe

Punjab are off the blocks with intent as Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Abhishek Sharma stride out to open. No damage yet, both unbeaten and already setting the tempo at the top, exactly the start Punjab would have wanted.

Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek Sharma are cruising for Punjab against Maharashtra. Prabhsimran’s unbeaten 35 off 48 keeps the scoreboard ticking, while Abhishek chips in with a quick 37 off 35, a solid opening stand putting Punjab in control.

Abhishek Sharma’s departure for 48 off 45 brings a hiccup for Punjab, caught by Pradeep Dadhe off Vicky Ostwal. But all is not lost, Prabhsimran Singh is holding the innings together, unbeaten on 55 off 72, keeping the scoreboard ticking and looking to anchor Punjab through this phase.

Punjab’s momentum takes another hit as Prabhsimran Singh, the innings anchor, falls for 60 off 77, bowled by Ramakrishna Ghosh. His fifty had kept Punjab ticking, and now the onus shifts to the middle order to keep the innings on track.

Punjab are cruising along as Anmolpreet Singh and Naman Dhir build a steady partnership. Anmolpreet is unbeaten on 37 off 48, while Naman is right alongside him with 39 off 50, keeping the innings ticking and Punjab well set.

Punjab’s innings gain momentum as both Anmolpreet Singh and Naman Dhir cross fifties. Anmolpreet is unbeaten on 51 off 60, while Naman Dhir powers on with 77 off 69, the duo anchoring Punjab and keeping the scoreboard ticking steadily.

Punjab put up a massive 347 for 6 in their 50 overs against Maharashtra, laying down a serious marker. The innings is built on strong contributions across the order, with the batters keeping the pressure on right through and setting up a daunting task for Maharashtra in the chase.

Maharashtra begin their chase of Punjab’s mammoth 347, with Prithvi Shaw and Arshin Kulkarni opening the innings. Early days, and they’re 12 without loss after 2 overs, cautiously assessing the target ahead.

Maharashtra are racing along in their chase, reaching 88 without loss after 10.3 overs. Prithvi Shaw leads the charge on 45 off 35, while Arshin Kulkarni supports him well with 37 off 30, both keeping the momentum firmly in Maharashtra’s favour.

Prithvi Shaw falls just short of a fifty, caught and held by Abhishek Sharma for 46 as Maharashtra slump to 128 for 4 in 21.4 overs. His dismissal brings the chase to a tricky point, leaving the middle order to steady the innings.

Maharashtra are 199 for 4 after 35 overs, but the chase has slowed after a flurry of run-outs and key wickets. Prithvi Shaw is the first to go, caught and bowled by Abhishek Sharma for 46, followed by Arshin Kulkarni, run out for 37. S A Veer also departs via a run-out, and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is bowled by Krish Bhagat.

Amid the stutters, Ankit Bawane is holding firm on 43, with R S Ghosh adding momentum at the other end on 50, as Maharashtra try to rebuild and push on late.

Maharashtra reach 258 for 8 in 45.4 overs, posting a competitive total as they look to set up a challenging target with contributions from multiple batters.

Punjab defeated Maharashtra by 51 runs in a high-scoring clash. Punjab posted 347 for 6, with Naman Dhir anchoring the innings with 97 before being run out. In reply, Maharashtra managed 296 for 8, with Sukhdeep Bajwa and Krish Bhagat shining with the ball, taking two wickets each and helping Punjab secure a comfortable victory.

That’s a wrap! We’ll be back with another live blog soon. Until then, bye-bye.