• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Punjabs Salil Arora Bold Statement Before Ipl 2026 Auction Blasts 39 Ball Century Vs Jharkhand

Punjab’s Salil Arora bold statement before IPL 2026 auction; blasts 39-ball century vs Jharkhand

Kaushik Kashyap

Salil Arora scored 39-ball ton. [Source - @bcci/x.com]Salil Arora scored 39-ball ton. [Source - @bcci/x.com]

Punjab wicketkeeper-batter Salil Arora produced a sensational 39-ball century against Jharkhand, lighting up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League stage at the DY Patil Academy in Pune. His unbeaten 125 off just 45 deliveries powered Punjab to a massive 235 after being asked to bat first, an innings arriving just four days before the IPL 2026 auction.

Who is Salil Arora? Punjab’s keeper-batter who smashed a 39-ball century vs Jharkhand

Salil Arora, a 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Amritsar, is a rising Punjab talent who impressed through age-group cricket. A highly rated prospect, he made his senior debut in the 2024 Ranji season and later featured in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Fast forward to SMAT knockouts this year, Punjab began their first game with the bat positively but lost momentum after slipping from a solid start to 62/3 inside eight overs, bringing Salil Arora to the crease. What followed was one of the finest T20 assaults in Punjab’s domestic history.

Arora, alongside Naman Dhir, rebuilt with composure while keeping the run rate healthy. Dhir fell soon after the halfway mark, but Arora switched gears instantly. He raced to his half-century in 23 balls, showing early signs of the ruthless storm.

The real carnage began thereafter. Arora unleashed a brutal counterattack, converting his fifty into a century in just 16 balls, bringing up the landmark in 39 deliveries, the third-fastest century for Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after Abhishek's 28-ball and 32-ball century.

Arora finished the innings with a final tally of unbeaten 125 off 45 balls with 9 fours and 11 sixes. It was an exhibition of clean, all-round ball striking from the right-hander as he smashed sixes with equal authority on both sides of the wicket, dismantling pacers and spinners alike, showcasing a complete range of T20 hitting.

His unbeaten 125 now stands as Punjab’s third-highest in SMAT history, behind Abhishek Sharma’s 148 and Shubman Gill’s 126. With the IPL 2026 auction approaching, this innings couldn’t have been timed any better, especially with many Indian uncapped keeper-batters in demand.  Arora’s fireworks gave Punjab a commanding start in the Super League round in their push toward the final.