Punjab's first opponent in the 1999-2000 North Zone Ranji One-Day league was unfancied Himachal Pradesh. Playing on home turf at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Punjab crushed their rivals by 178 runs in a mismatch of a contest. In a good allround performance, skipper and old hand Vikram Rathour took the batting honours for Punjab with a strokeful 88, while rookie offspinner Sarandeep Singh stole the bowling honours with a potent spell of three wickets for next to nothing.

After being inserted by Himachal, Punjab lost pinchitter Sandeep Sharma and veteran Navjot Sidhu with little on the board. But Rathour and Reetinder Sodhi (52) steadied the innings with a 134 run third wicket stand. Pankaj Dharmani added his weight with a brisk halfcentury as the hosts finally settled at an imposing 273/7 in their fifty overs

Himachal's reply stuttered with the early loss of both openers who were taken out by Sodhi. Yuvraj Singh then got into the act with his left arm orthodox stuff which claimed three scalps. The coup de grace was delivered by Sarandeep who polished off three of the last four wickets to fall, giving away a niggardly nine runs in seven overs and two balls as Himachal plunged to 95 all out. His victims, A Rai, Arun Verma and Yashwinder Singh, were not exactly big names but one could hardly hold that against Sarandeep. While there were undoubtedly sterner tests to follow for the 20 year old, he was to show in subsequent games that he could hold his own against any opposition.