Gujarat left-arm spinner Vishal Jayswal enjoyed a memorable outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Delhi, earning a signed match ball from Virat Kohli after an impressive bowling performance at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Despite Gujarat falling short by seven runs, Jayswal emerged as the standout performer for his side, finishing with excellent figures of 4 for 42 in his 10 overs. His spell played a crucial role in restricting Delhi to a chaseable total and drew widespread attention for its quality and control.
Dismissing Kohli – A Career-Defining Moment
The highlight of Jayswal’s spell came when he dismissed Virat Kohli, who was batting fluently on 77 off 61 balls. The left-arm spinner deceived the former India captain with flight, inducing a mistimed shot that resulted in a stumping by wicketkeeper Urvil Patel. The dismissal ended a threatening partnership and stood out as the defining moment of the innings.
Kohli, who had earlier smashed 13 boundaries and a six, was fresh off a century in the tournament opener and looked set for another big score before falling to Jayswal’s guile.
Key Contributions Against a Strong Batting Line-up
In addition to Kohli, Jayswal removed Arpit Rana (10), Nitish Rana (12) and Rishabh Pant (70), underlining his ability to break partnerships and deliver under pressure. His disciplined spell helped Gujarat restrict Delhi to 254/9 after being sent in to bowl. Delhi’s innings was anchored by Kohli and Pant, but crucial breakthroughs at regular intervals prevented them from completely taking the game away.
In reply, Gujarat looked in control early in the chase, reaching 121/1 before losing momentum. A middle-order collapse shifted the match in Delhi’s favour, despite fighting knocks from Aarya Desai (57) and Saurav Chauhan (49). Gujarat were eventually bowled out for 247 in 47.4 overs, falling just seven runs short.
For Delhi, Prince Yadav led the bowling with figures of 3/37, while experienced campaigners Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini chipped in with key wickets to seal the win.
A Moment to Remember
Following the match, Jayswal shared pictures with Virat Kohli, proudly displaying the signed match ball, a moment symbolising recognition from one of the game’s greats. The gesture capped off a memorable outing for the young spinner, whose performance is likely to earn him further opportunities at the domestic level.
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