In a display of ruthless dominance, Jammu and Kashmir's young under-16 team displayed record breaking performance by making 585 for seven on the opening day of their Vijay Merchant Trophy encounter at Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat.

This thunderous total vaults J&K into the record books, marking the second-highest single-day score in the tournament's history—trailing only Bihar's 591.

Opting to bowl first, Meghalaya were ruthlessly punished as J&K openers KarmanSingh and Arsalan Nayak erupted from the outset, forging a blistering 248-run partnership. Arsalan's explosive 140 (151 balls, 16 fours, seven sixes) set the tone before his departure, while Karman exuded sublime grace and unyielding solidity en route to a masterful 182 (214 balls, 31 fours, two sixes). Hadi Amin then unleashed fireworks, remaining unbeaten on a power-packed 115 (84 balls, 15 fours, four sixes) in another substantial alliance with Karman. Adnan Manzoor (53 off 28 balls) and Rajveer Singh (44) provided stout support, while Jaskaran Singh (21), and skipper Smagey Khajuria (12) offered brief cameos.

Meghalaya's bowlers endured a torrid day: D Marak (3/105) and G Paul (two/108) leaked runs relentlessly, with A Barally and A Chanda snaring one wicket apiece.

"A promising start is half the battle won. Our young brigade's masterclass against Meghalaya in the Vijay Merchant Trophy is irrefutable proof of their boundless talent. As the adage goes, greatness reveals itself in youth—and our U-16 warriors embodied this today in Surat. The entire J&K cricket fraternitys wells with pride,” said Brig Anil Gupta, Member Administration JKCA.

The squad participating in the tournament under the guidance of former First-Class cricketer Sameer Khajuria (Head Coach), Muzaffar Mattoo (Coach), Shashi Kumar (Manager, former First-Class cricketer), Amit Bargotra (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Karan Nayyar (Physiotherapist), and Sheikh Suhail (Performance Analyst).

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