Vijay Hazare Trophy Highlights: Gaikwad and Pandya Shine in Thrilling Matches
Gaikwad Matches Century Record, Jadeja Impresses
Ruturaj Gaikwad's remarkable century, along with half-centuries from Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, stood out during the first innings of Thursday's Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.
After being omitted from the New Zealand ODI squad, Gaikwad, who previously scored his first ODI century against South Africa last year, achieved his second century of the current season. This performance allowed him to tie Ankit Bawne's record for the most centuries in the tournament's history, with both players now having 15 centuries each. While Bawne reached this milestone in 101 matches, Gaikwad accomplished it in just 59 matches. His impressive score of 134 not out off 131 balls, featuring eight fours and six sixes, helped Maharashtra post a total of 249/7. Vicky Otswal also contributed with a solid 53 runs off 82 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Gaikwad's season stats now show 413 runs in seven matches, averaging 82.60, with two centuries and one fifty.
In another match, Saurashtra faced Gujarat, where Vishvaraj Jadeja scored a century (112 runs off 103 balls, with nine fours and five sixes), supported by fifties from captain Harvik Desai (82 runs off 80 balls, with 13 fours and a six) and Ravindra Jadeja (52 not out off 39 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes), leading Saurashtra to a total of 383/4 in 50 overs.
Pandya's Explosive Performance Fuels Baroda
In the match between Baroda and Chandigarh, standout performances came from Priyansu Moliya, who scored 113 runs off 106 balls (12 fours and a six), Hardik Pandya with a blistering 75 runs off just 31 balls (two fours and nine sixes), and Jitesh Sharma, who added 73 runs off 33 balls (eight fours and four sixes). Baroda finished their innings at 391 runs in 49.1 overs.
Mumbai's Bowlers Dominate Against Punjab
In a clash between Punjab and Mumbai, the bowlers shone brightly. Musheer Khan took 3 wickets for 37 runs, while Shivam Dube claimed 2 wickets for just 20 runs, helping to dismiss a formidable Punjab team for a mere 216 runs in 45.1 overs. Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh struggled with the bat, scoring only 8 and 11 runs, respectively. The only notable contributions came from Ramandeep Singh, who scored 72 runs off 74 balls (five fours and three sixes), and Amolpreet Singh, who added 57 runs off 75 balls (six fours).
Zeeshan's Stellar Performance Against Bengal
Uttar Pradesh's spinner Zeeshan Ansari continued his impressive form, taking 3 wickets for 33 runs in nine overs, which led to Bengal being bowled out for 269 runs in 45.1 overs. Sudip Kumar Goswami fought valiantly with a score of 94 runs off 106 balls (12 fours and a six), while Shahbaz Ahmed contributed 43 runs off 54 balls (three fours). Zeeshan now boasts 21 wickets in seven matches, averaging 14.33, making him one of the top bowlers of the season.
Vidarbha Sets Strong Total Against Assam
Last season's finalists, Vidarbha, managed to post a total of 308/7 in their 50 overs, with Samarth R scoring an impressive 94 not out off 76 balls (seven fours and a six) and Atharva Taide contributing 80 runs off 88 balls (six fours and three sixes) against Assam.
Hyderabad's Fifties Lead Against J&K
In the match between Hyderabad and Jammu & Kashmir, Aman Rao, who scored a double century in the previous match, continued his excellent form with a score of 60 runs off 77 balls (four boundaries and three sixes). He was supported by fifties from Rahul Gahlaut (56 runs off 36 balls, eight fours and two sixes) and K Nitesh Reddy (54 not out off 61 balls, six fours). Hyderabad finished their innings at 268/9 in 50 overs, while J&K's pacer Aquib Nabi delivered a commendable ten-over spell, taking 3 wickets for 56 runs.
Jagadeesan's Lone Effort for TN; Kerala's Edhen Apple Tom Shines
Skipper N Jagadeesan's remarkable innings of 139 runs off 126 balls (nine fours and five sixes) was the highlight for Tamil Nadu, who scored 294/8 against Kerala. However, Edhen Apple Tom's outstanding bowling performance, taking 6 wickets for 46 runs, was a significant achievement.
Defending Champions Karnataka Struggle Against MP
Karnataka, the defending champions, faced challenges against Madhya Pradesh. Skipper Mayank Agarwal scored 49 runs off 59 balls (five fours and a six), and Devdutt Padikkal added 35 runs off 39 balls (two fours and two sixes), but a five-wicket haul from Shivang Kumar (5/49) limited them to a total of 207 runs in 47.4 overs.