Dhruv Shorey’s purple patch shows no sign of fading. The Vidarbha batter collected an unbeaten 109 from just 77 deliveries against Hyderabad in Rajkot on Thursday, drawing level with N Jagadeesan’s mark of five successive List-A centuries.
Sent in at No. 3, Shorey took full advantage of a 148-run opening stand between Aman Mokhade and Yash Rathod before accelerating. His knock contained nine fours and six sixes, helping Vidarbha cruise to 365 for 5 after being asked to bat first. It is Shorey’s eighth hundred in the format and his second this season.
The sequence began in last season’s Vijay Hazare knockout phase, where Shorey reached three figures in the quarter-final, semi-final and final. He finished that campaign with 494 runs in eight innings at an average a shade over 70 and a strike-rate nudging 93, figures that placed him fifth on the overall run-scorers’ list.
This winter he opened with 136 from 125 balls, though Vidarbha lost a high-scoring contest to Bengal. Thursday’s effort means he now joins Jagadeesan at the top of the consecutive-hundreds chart. Jagadeesan’s own run, achieved in 2022-23, famously included the record-breaking 277 against Arunachal Pradesh – still the highest List-A score anywhere.
Below the leading pair sit Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal, Kumar Sangakkara and Alviro Petersen with four tons on the spin. Sangakkara achieved his during the 2015 World Cup, the only player to register four in succession at international level.
“It’s satisfying to contribute every time I walk out, but there’s plenty of cricket left in the tournament,” Shorey told the host broadcaster, keeping celebrations muted. Vidarbha coach Trevor Gonsalves added: “He’s in a good head-space and the team is feeding off that confidence.”
Hyderabad’s bowlers, behind the rate from the eighth over, struggled to regain control. Left-arm quick T Vijaykumar returned 2 for 64, the most economical of the attack. Hyderabad now need to regroup quickly, while Vidarbha, powered by Shorey’s consistency, are well-placed for another deep run.
Analysis
Runs in clumps often reflect technique aligned with mental clarity. Shorey’s method – steady early, expansive once set – mirrors that of several modern Indian domestic heavy-scorers. The strike-rate uplift has been notable: from mid-80s a year ago to over 100 in this streak, suggesting a conscious push for quicker scoring without reckless risk. Whether it translates to higher honours remains to be seen, yet the numbers demand attention.
