Ranji Trophy 2022 | Vishnu Solanki loses newborn daughter, returns to field, hits ton for Baroda vs Chandigarh

Vishnu Solanki was in Bhubaneswar for Baroda’s earlier Ranji Trophy 2022 fixture against Bengal when he heard about the unfortunate death of his new-born daughter. He flew back to Vadodara to attend his daughter’s funeral, and then, three days later, took a flight to return to Bhubaneswar for Baroda’s match against Chandigarh.

Solanki braved his personal tragedy to score a valiant hundred against Chandigarh. His 165-ball 104, laced with 12 fours, helped Baroda reach 517 after Chandigarh was skittled out for 168. However, Chandigarh came back strongly in the second innings, posting 145/0 at tea break on Day 3. They still need to score 204 more to ask Baroda bat again.

Shishir Hattangadi, the CEO of Baroda Cricket Association, hailed Solanki for braving his personal tragedy to score a hundred. “Story of a Cricketer who lost his newborn daughter a few days ago. He attends the funeral and gets back to represent his team to get a hundred. His name may not make social media "likes", but for me #vishnoosolanki is a real life hero. An inspiration!” he tweeted.

Saurashtra’s wicketkeeper-batter Sheldon Jackson also lauded Solanki for his valiant efforts. “"What a player. Has to be the toughest player I have known. A big salute to Vishnu and his family by no means this is easy. Wish you many more hundreds and a lot of success," Jackson’s tweet read.