Meet Salil Arora, Punjab batter who lit up SMAT with 39-ball ton

New Delhi: Young Punjab batter Salil Arora lit up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 on Friday with a blistering century. During Punjab's knockout game against Jharkhand at the DY Patil Academy in Pune on December 12, Salil smashed a 39-ball hundred to steal all the limelight during the encounter which became even more exciting with his flawless batting.

Salil ended up scoring unbeaten 125 runs off just 45 deliveries studded with 9 boundaries and 11 massive sixes bringing the spectators to the edge of their seats in the stands. His sensational hundred helped Punjab pile up a massive score of 235 in the stipulated 20 overs but it was not enough to help the side cross the line as Jharkhand proved too difficult to contain chasing the big score with almost two overs to spare.

Salil's century did go in vain considering the result of the game but he established himself as a power-packed batter especially keeping in mind the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for which he is listed as a wicketkeeper-batter with a base price of Rs 30 lakh.  It is being learnt as per multiple media sources that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which is interested in acquiring the services of an Indian wicketkeeper might go for the young player.

The 23-year-old Amritsar-born Salil Arora is a right-handed batter and wicketkeeper who has played for played for Punjab under-19 and India under-19. Salil made his first-class debut last year in 2024 Madhya Pradesh where he scores 101 and 27 runs in his two innings. He currently has scored 458 runs from nine first-class matches with an average of 41.63.

In the T20s, he made his debut against Meghalaya in December 2024 but was dismissed for just one run. Salil has played a total of seven T20 matches scoring 267 runs with an average of 53.40 which makes him a fir for a league like the IPL. Salil, who looks like a promising talent, might be up for grabs at the upcoming auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Kumar Kushagra scored an unbeaten 86 off 42 balls to help Jharkhand chase the highest total in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history against Punjab. Named the Player of the Match for his valiant effort, he smacked eight boundaries and four sixes enroute his blistering yet responsible knock which helped the side cross the finish line.