4 months ago
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Opener Aman Mokhade scored his 5th period of the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy (138, 122b, 12x4, 2x6) arsenic Vidarbha outclassed defending champion Karnataka by six wickets to participate its 2nd consecutive final, astatine the BCCI Centre of Excellence adjacent present connected Thursday.
In Sunday’s acme clash, Vidarbha volition play the victor of Friday’s Punjab-Saurashtra semifinal, and look to marque amends for past season’s mislaid accidental and triumph its maiden home 50-over title.
Going by the thumping triumph implicit Karnataka, which was secured with much than three overs to spare, Harsh Dubey’s broadside tin precise good fancy its chances.
Vidarbha mislaid the toss, but bowled impeccably good to restrict Karnataka’s mighty line-up to conscionable 280 earlier batting with unrestrained authorization to canter home.
Mokhade’s superlative sound besides carried him past Devdutt Padikkal to the apical spot successful this edition’s run-getters’ database (781 runs).
For Karnataka, middle-order batter R. Smaran missed retired due to the fact that of a enarthrosis niggle and speedster V. Vyshak bowled conscionable 4 overs earlier walking backmost due to the fact that of the after-effects of a concussion helium sustained successful the past implicit of his team’s batting.
But thing should instrumentality distant from Vidarbha’s objective win. Mokhade played a chanceless innings, coming up with strokes each implicit the park. He showed a peculiar liking to Shreyas Gopal’s leg-spin (37 runs, 28 balls) and his hooked six disconnected speedster Vidwath Kaverappa was the stand-out shot.
With erstwhile Karnataka batter R. Samarth (76 n.o., 69b, 7x4), Mokhade combined for 147 third-wicket runs, an relation which ended up flattening Mayank Agarwal’s seemingly invincible outfit.
Earlier, aft electing to bat, Karnataka endured a soundless play astatine the beginning. The in-form Padikkal had a amazingly pugnacious time, playing and missing aggregate times, arsenic pacers Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute bowled choky lines.
The unit soon showed successful the signifier of wickets, arsenic Mayank was adjudged leg-before to Bhute connected reappraisal and Padikkal was caught down disconnected Thakur to permission the location broadside astatine 20 for two.
Dhruv Prabhakar, Smaran’s replacement successful the XI, came up with a pleasing 28 (33b, 5x4) but holed retired astatine heavy square-leg.
From 74 for three, Karun Nair (76, 90b, 8x4, 1x6) and K.L. Shrijith (54, 53b, 7x4) rebuilt. Both batters were reprieved once, with Karun caught astatine the bound by Yash Rathod lone for the fielder to person overstepped and Shrijith dropped astatine gaffe by Atharva Taide disconnected spinner Yash Kadam.
But the duo besides showcased immoderate good shot-making during their 113-run association. Karun cut, pulled, reverse-swept and adjacent played cheeky uppercuts portion Shrijith, little fidgety than his accustomed self, kept his elder spouse bully company.
Karnataka, though, was pegged backmost astatine the astir inopportune time, with Karun and Shrijith dismissed successful the span of 12 balls. Karun was caught astatine extra-cover disconnected pacer Darshan Nalkande, and Shrijith paid the terms for not moving his feet and was bowled by Kadam.
From 193 for five, Shreyas (36, 39b, 4x4) and Abhinav Manohar (26, 33b, 1x4) were progressive successful a 55-run concern for the sixth wicket but Nalkande ensured that determination would beryllium nary end-overs flourish.
He sent backmost Shreyas, Abhinav and all-rounder Vidyadhar Patil to decorativeness with a five-wicket haul (10-0-48-5) earlier the Vidarbha batters took implicit and fashioned a splendid triumph.
Brief scores
Karnataka 280 successful 49.4 overs (Karun Nair 76, K.L. Shrijith 54, Darshan Nalkande 5/48) mislaid to Vidarbha 284/4 successful 46.2 overs (Aman Mokhade 138, Dhruv Shorey 47, R. Samarth 76 n.o.); Toss: Karnataka.
