In January this year, Ashutosh Singh turned up for Madhya Pradesh against Assam in the Syed Mustaq Ali match in Vadodara. After an impressive bowling performance, where his three overs yielded just 12 runs in addition to a wicket, he walked out to open in a modest chase.

However, things didn't pan out the way he wanted and a mix-up led to him being run out for just 8. Understandably shattered, Ashutosh made up his mind to get a century on his first-class debut - his aim was to get that ton for Madhya Pradesh. However, little did he know that he's going to become the first Ranji Trophy centurion for Chhattisgarh.

Ashutosh's 140 on the second day of their clash against Tripura at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Ground in Ranchi, helped them take a first firm grip of their opening encounter. The right-hander walked in with the team in a shaky situation at