Karnataka, Saurashtra, Punjab, and Vidarbha Reach Vijay Hazare Trophy Semifinals
Vijay Hazare Trophy Semifinalists Announced
New Delhi, January 13: The semifinals of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy have been set, featuring defending champions Karnataka, alongside Saurashtra, Punjab, and Vidarbha.
Karnataka clinched their semifinal position by defeating Mumbai using the VJD method, while Saurashtra also secured a victory over Uttar Pradesh under the same method. Punjab triumphed over Madhya Pradesh by a significant margin of 183 runs, and Vidarbha overcame Delhi by 76 runs.
In their match, Karnataka managed to limit Mumbai to a score of 254/8, despite a commendable innings from Shams Mulani, who scored 86 runs off 91 balls. Rain interruptions led to the application of the VJD method, requiring Karnataka to reach a minimum of 133 runs to advance. Bowlers Vidyadhar Patil (3/42) and Vidwath Kaverappa (2/43) played crucial roles in restricting Mumbai. Karnataka's chase saw Devdutt Padikkal scoring an unbeaten 81 off 95 balls, while Karun Nair contributed 74 runs, leading the team to 187/1 in just 33 overs.
In the match between Saurashtra and Uttar Pradesh, Saurashtra opted to bowl first. UP managed to post 310/8 in their 50 overs, thanks to significant contributions from Abhishek Goswami (88 runs) and Sameer Rizvi (88* runs). For Saurashtra, Chetan Sakariya (3/54) and Prerak Mankad (2/47) were the standout bowlers. In response, Saurashtra's captain Harvik Desai scored a century (100* runs), supported by Prerak Mankad's 67 runs, as they chased down the target, finishing at 238/3 in 40.1 overs.
In the third quarterfinal, Punjab faced Madhya Pradesh, who won the toss and chose to field. Punjab's innings was bolstered by fifties from Prabhsimran Singh (88 runs), Anmolpreet Singh (70 runs), Nehal Wadhera (56 runs), and Harnoor Singh (51 runs), leading them to a total of 345/6. Madhya Pradesh's batting faltered, and they were bowled out for just 162 runs in 31.2 overs, with Sanvir Singh (3/31) and Gurnoor Brar (2/27) excelling with the ball for Punjab.
In the final quarterfinal, Vidarbha chose to bat first against Delhi. Yash Rathod (86 runs) and Atharva Taide (62 runs) helped Vidarbha reach 300/9 in their innings. Delhi's chase was challenging, losing wickets quickly and ending up with 224 runs in 45.1 overs, despite Anuj Rawat's 66 runs. Nachiketa Bhute and Harsh Dubey were instrumental in dismantling Delhi's batting lineup, taking four and three wickets, respectively.