Thirty-year-old Shivam Bhambri hogged the limelight in the recently concluded Chandigarh Premier League (CPL) by scoring an unbeaten 171 off 63 balls, featuring 14 fours and 15 sixes, to register the highest individual score. Bhambri’s innings was also the third-highest individual score in the world T20 cricket, behind Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 175 and Aaron Finch’s 172. Gayle achieved the feat in the 2013 IPL, while Finch’s innings came against Zimbabwe for Australia.
Bhambri led his side to the final, scoring 608 runs and taking seven wickets. His 608-run tally is the highest ever by any player in a single season across all BCCI-recognised domestic T20 leagues. “The CPL was a great platform, and I was in a great touch. With a lot many opportunities ahead, I am trying to continue with my performance and play in the IPL,” said Bhambri. For Chandigarh, he had a great season in the Ranji Trophy with three centuries. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he posted two tons, while scored one in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
After representing Punjab in all age groups, Bhambri shifted to Chandigarh in 2019 when the UTCA got affiliation. He also captained Chandigarh teams in the BCCI domestic season, and guided his CPL franchisee Chandigarh Kings to two title wins.
“The upcoming season will be really important. We as a unit have improved a lot in the past years, and leading the city team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy helped me to understand the sport better,” added Bhambri. He made his first class debut for Chandigarh against Arunachal Pradesh, followed by list A match against Dehradun and then a T20 match against Himachal Pradesh in the same year.
