Tomar’s Ton and Varun’s Five-Fer Lead Rajasthan to Quarterfinals

Rajasthan defeated Tamil Nadu by 19 runs in the pre-quarterfinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Vadodara, thanks to a brilliant performance by opener Abhijeet Tomar. His 111 runs set the foundation for Rajasthan’s total, helping them post a challenging score. Despite a strong five-wicket haul from Tamil Nadu’s spinner Varun Chakravarthy, Rajasthan’s total was enough to secure the win. Chakravarthy’s exceptional performance, which took his tally to 18 wickets in six matches, was not enough to prevent Tamil Nadu from being eliminated at this stage.

Rajasthan was off to a strong start after losing the toss, racing to 182 for 1 in the 32nd over. However, Chakravarthy’s spell changed the momentum. He first dismissed Mahipal Lomror for 60 with a wrong’un that hit the top of the off stump after drifting in. This sparked a collapse, as Chakravarthy took three wickets in as many overs, putting Rajasthan on the back foot. Despite the quick wickets, Rajasthan managed to steady their innings and reach a competitive total.

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Tomar’s century played a pivotal role in keeping Rajasthan on track. His composed knock, supported by solid contributions from other batsmen, helped Rajasthan recover from the fall of regular wickets. Tomar’s stability at the top of the order allowed Rajasthan to post a defendable total.

Rajasthan’s 19-run victory secured them a place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Vidarbha on January 12. The win was a collective team effort, with Tomar’s batting anchoring the innings and Chakravarthy’s efforts with the ball not quite being enough to turn the tide for Tamil Nadu.

Chakravarthy’s Five-Fer and Shekhawat’s Key Wickets Seal Rajasthan’s 19-Run Victory

After breaking the 160-run partnership between Abhijeet Tomar and Mahipal Lomror, Varun Chakravarthy continued to wreak havoc with the ball. He dismissed Deepak Hooda with a carrom ball, as Hooda attempted a mow to the leg side. Chakravarthy’s next victim was Tomar, who had earlier struck a solid 111 off 125 balls, caught at long-on. Varun’s brilliant spell didn’t stop there; he picked up two more wickets to finish with outstanding figures of 5 for 52 in nine overs. Rajasthan’s innings collapsed after his efforts, losing nine wickets for just 83 runs and being bowled out for 267 in 47.3 overs. R Sai Kishore and Sandeep Warrier were the other contributors for Tamil Nadu, each picking up two wickets.

Tamil Nadu’s chase began aggressively with an opening stand of 60 runs in just 6.5 overs, but Rajasthan’s Khaleel Ahmed struck first, bowling Tushar Raheja for 11. N Jagadeesan then raced to a blistering half-century, including a memorable over from Aman Shekhawat that saw him score six fours, including five wides, costing Rajasthan 29 runs. However, Jagadeesan’s dismissal for 65 off 52 balls created a shift in momentum and led to panic in Tamil Nadu’s batting lineup.

Despite a resilient effort from B Indrajith and Vijay Shankar, Tamil Nadu found themselves needing 83 runs off 60 balls at the start of the 36th over, with five wickets remaining. The turning point came with the run-out of S Mohammed Ali, who had made 34 off 34 balls. The run-out sparked a flurry of wickets, as Shekhawat, who had earlier dismissed Indrajith for a catch behind, bowled Vijay Shankar for 49 and later claimed Varun Chakravarthy for 18.

In a tense finish, Shekhawat’s efforts helped Rajasthan bowl Tamil Nadu out for 248 in 47.1 overs. With figures of 3 for 60, Shekhawat played a crucial role in Rajasthan’s victory. The runners-up of the previous Vijay Hazare Trophy moved into the quarterfinals, securing a place in the final eight after a thrilling 19-run win.