Vishnu Solanki battled a terrible loss as he lost his newborn daughter but he returned to score a magnificent century in the Ranji Trophy match for Baroda against Chandigarh.
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February 11 was supposed to be the happiest day in the life of Vishnu Solanki, a Baroda player. He was blessed with a baby daughter. At that time, he was in Bhubaneswar in the Ranji Trophy bio-bubble. However, his joy soon turned into a nightmare. On February 12, Vishnu Solanki lost his one-day daughter. He was inconsolable and he went to Baroda to attend the last rites. After conducting the last rites, his family was undergoing really tough times.
However, in a remarkable show of courage, Vishnu Solanki returned three days later and went into quarantine in Bhubaneswar. In the Ranji Trophy 2022 match between Baroda and Chandigarh in the Elite Division B match, Vishnu Solanki scored a brilliant century. After bowling Chandigarh out for 168 thanks to Abhimanyu Rajput’s 5/47, Vishnu Solanki blasted a century. Aided by knocks of 96 from Jyotsnil Singh and 43 from Pratyush Kumar, Baroda took a big 230-run lead at the end of day 3 of the Ranji Trophy match at the Vikas Cricket Ground.
But, all focus was on Vishnu Solanki, who showed guts and bravery after overcoming such a massive loss.
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Tributes for Solanki poured out on social media. Saurashtra wicketkeeper and veteran Sheldon Jackson and Baroda Cricket Association CEO Shishir Hattangadi all praised the resilience of Solanki. Both hailed him a ‘real hero’.
Born on October 15, 1992, the 29-year-old made his First-Class debut for Baroda in 2015 against Tamil Nadu. In 24 matches, he has scored 1575 runs at an average of just over 40. In List A cricket, he has scored 1019 runs at an average of 33.96. Solanki also has been consistent in T20 cricket, scoring 883 runs at an average of 31 and a strike-rate of 122.
Solanki had shot to prominence in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In the match against Haryana, he came to the crease when Baroda were in deep trouble. In a sensational display of batting, Vishnu Vinod blasted four boundaries and five sixes in his knock of 71 off 46 balls. Baroda had needed 18 off the final over. The equation came down to six runs off the final ball. Vishnu Solanki unleashed an MS Dhoni-like Helicopter shot to guide Baroda to the semifinals in sensational fashion. One hopes that Vishnu Solanki scores plenty of runs and comes into the reckoning of the India national team in the future.
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