Padikkal and Shetty Lead Karnataka to Vijay Hazare Trophy Final

Padikkal and Shetty Lead Karnataka to Vijay Hazare Trophy Final

Karnataka, in pursuit of their fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title, have booked their spot in the final, where they await the winner of the semi-final clash between Vidarbha and Maharashtra. The team’s success was spearheaded by a spectacular batting display from Devdutt Padikkal, who continued his stellar form in the tournament with yet another fifty-plus […]

Karnataka, in pursuit of their fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title, have booked their spot in the final, where they await the winner of the semi-final clash between Vidarbha and Maharashtra. The team’s success was spearheaded by a spectacular batting display from Devdutt Padikkal, who continued his stellar form in the tournament with yet another fifty-plus score—his seventh consecutive in India’s premier 50-over domestic competition. Padikkal’s knock of 86 off 113 balls played a pivotal role in Karnataka’s comfortable chase of Haryana’s 238-run target, ensuring their entry into the championship decider.

Padikkal’s innings, which followed his match-winning century against Baroda in the previous game, was complemented by a crucial 128-run partnership for the third wicket with Ravichandran Smaran. The foundation for the victory, however, was laid by Karnataka’s bowlers, particularly left-arm seamer Abhilash Shetty, who picked up 4 for 34. Shetty’s spell included the dismissals of Nishant Sindhu and Parth Vats, Haryana’s top performers in their previous knockout win against Bengal. Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal also made a significant impact, breaking a flourishing 70-run second-wicket stand between Himanshu Rana and Ankit Kumar by trapping Kumar lbw on 48. Haryana’s innings unraveled thereafter, collapsing from a promising position to 198 for 9, although a spirited last-wicket stand boosted them to a more competitive total.

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Karnataka’s chase began on a shaky note when their captain and top scorer of the tournament, Mayank Agarwal, was dismissed in the opening over by Anshul Kamboj. Agarwal fell to a full delivery that jagged in and struck him on the knee-roll, with Hawk-Eye confirming it would clip the stumps. Despite the early setback, Padikkal steadied the innings, showcasing his ability to adapt to the uneven bounce of the Kotambi Stadium surface. His composed stroke play allowed Karnataka to regain momentum even as KV Aneesh struggled at the other end. Aneesh eventually broke free with a six off Sumit Kumar after a slow start, which helped ease the pressure during the chase.

Karnataka’s clinical performance in both bowling and batting underscored their dominance and resilience as four-time champions. Padikkal’s form remains a significant asset as the team eyes a record-equalling fifth title. With their bowlers executing disciplined spells and key partnerships anchoring the chase, Karnataka have proven their mettle under pressure. The team now awaits their final hurdle, as either Vidarbha or Maharashtra will challenge them for domestic cricket supremacy.

Padikkal and Smaran Shine as Karnataka March into Vijay Hazare Final

Devdutt Padikkal once again proved to be the architect of Karnataka’s chase, anchoring the innings with a 62-run partnership alongside KV Aneesh before delivering a decisive 128-run stand with Ravichandran Smaran. The duo steadied the ship against Haryana’s spinners, Amit and Nishant Sindhu, who generated turn and bounce from the surface. Padikkal broke the deadlock by stepping out to Sindhu and launching him over long-on, showcasing his class under pressure. However, with Karnataka needing just 44 runs, Padikkal fell for 86 while attempting an ambitious cross-batted heave, top-edging Sindhu to mid-off. Smaran then carried the innings forward with a classy 76 off 94 balls, including three sixes, before falling with Karnataka just 13 runs away from victory.

Earlier in the day, Haryana began steadily after being inserted to bat, with openers Arsh Ranga and Himanshu Rana providing a cautious start. A missed chance in the fifth over when Ranga edged Koushik behind could have cost Karnataka dearly, but Abhilash Shetty struck in his first over to dismiss Ranga, caught at slip by Padikkal. Himanshu and Amit Kumar capitalized on some loose bowling and shoddy glovework from wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith, building a promising second-wicket partnership. However, Karnataka’s captain, Mayank Agarwal, brought on spin to stem the flow of runs, and it paid dividends.

Shreyas Gopal and left-arm spinner Hardik Raj applied relentless pressure, testing the edges with clever variations. Gopal’s googly trapped Haryana’s captain Ankit Kumar lbw just shy of a fifty, while Raj dismissed Himanshu with a sharp stumping by Shrijith. Those twin breakthroughs turned the tide in Karnataka’s favor, and the rest of Haryana’s middle-order faltered under the disciplined bowling attack. Although Dinesh Bana, Rahul Tewatia, and Sumit Kumar managed starts, none could convert them into significant contributions, with Karnataka striking regularly to dismantle Haryana’s innings.

The collapse left Haryana reeling, as Karnataka bowled them out for a modest total. With this clinical all-round performance, Karnataka advanced to their first Vijay Hazare Trophy final since the 2019-20 season, breaking a streak of semi-final and quarter-final exits. Awaiting them in the summit clash on Saturday is the winner of the Vidarbha vs Maharashtra semi-final, as Karnataka eyes their fifth title in the prestigious tournament.

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Developed By: Jam Belga