Devdutt Padikkal scripts history, becomes first player to achieve this monumental feat in VHT

Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal etched his named into history books after remaining unbeaten on 81 against Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The left-hand batter helped the side in reaching the semi-finals and also crossed 700 runs in the ongoing edition of the domestic tournament. 

With this, Padikkal became the first player in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy to amass 700 runs in multiple seasons of the competition. He is among the five batters who have surpassed the mark in the tournament, including Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Narayan Jagadeesan and Karun Nair. However, Padikkal is the only player to achieve the feat twice.

Padikkal's unreal numbers in VHT

The 25-year-old has so far hit two half-centuries and four centuries in the tournament and is expected to play a key role for the team with the bat in the semi-finals as well. He has been in a league of his own and is also the current top-scorer in the ongoing competition. Vidarbha's Aman Mokhade can soon join him as the second player to amass 700 runs in the ongoing edition off the tournament as he currently sits on 637 ahead of the side's clash against Delhi on January 13.

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Meanwhile, Karnataka defeated Mumbai in what was an encounter marred by rain. The side led by Siddhesh Lad gave an average display in the batting department and they finished their 50 overs on 254/8. Shams Mulani proved to be their top performer as he played a valiant knock of 86 while Sairaj Patil played an impactful cameo of 33 as the side posted a respectable total on the board.

Padikkal and Nair help Karnatka clinch victory

In reply, even though Karnataka lost skipper Mayank Agarwal early, the duo of Padikkal and Nair helped the side get past the par score. The two formed a partnership of 143 runs where Padikkal remained unbeaten on 81 while Nair also remained unbeten on 72 as Karnataka ended  up at 187/1 after 33 overs. The rain eventually determined the result of the game as Karnataka came out victorious according to the VJD method which is India's own alternative to the DLS method. The defeat saw Mumbai get eliminated from the tournament affter being quite dominant in the group stage.