Kamat scores a triple ton

Panaji: Captain Sagun Kamat became the first cricketer from the state to score a triple hundred as Goa declared at 606 for six wickets against Services in a Ranji Trophy Group C match in Cuttack on Friday.
Kamat was unbeaten on 177 at the end of the first day’s play on Thursday as he bettered his personal best of 164 against Himachal Pradesh last year.
On Friday, there was no stopping Kamat as he struck 39 boundaries before eventually declaring Goa’s innings after he crossed the triple ton mark.
He was unbeaten on 304 from 448 balls and joined an exclusive club of Ranji Trophy captains — Vijay Merchant and Sunil Gavaskar to name a few — who have scored triple centuries.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect this. I wanted to bat every ball on merit and didn’t have any goal for myself. I am happy that I got this triple century but I will be happier if we win this game. We have lost two matches already,” Kamat told TOI minutes after achieving the feat.
Kamat, 33, overtook Swapnil Asnodkar’s unbeaten 254 against Railways in 2007 at the Rajendra Prasad stadium in Margao.
Asnodkar has three double centuries to his credit while outstation players who have represented Goa like former India wicket-keepers VB Chandrasekhar and Ajay Ratra have also scored double centuries.
“To be frank, we couldn’t put so much pressure on the players. We didn’t have the best of preparations because of the rains and we couldn’t train outside the state as well. The Ranji Trophy is tough as well and I am happy that things finally fell into place for this game. Let’s hope we can win this one,” said Kamat.