Vidarbha produced a strong all-round performance to beat Delhi by 76 runs and book their spot in the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-finals for the second year in a row. Last season’s runners-up will now face Karnataka in a repeat of last season’s final on Thursday, while Saurashtra will take on Punjab in the other semi-final on Friday.
Vidarbha's batting
Batting first at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence 2, Vidarbha recovered well after an early setback to post a challenging total of 300 for nine. Yash Rathod flexed his form with a top score of 86, while opener Atharva Taide added a solid 62, which was his second consecutive half-century. Dhruv Shorey also contributed 49 runs as Vidarbha made a competitive total. Late cameos from Rohit Binkar and Harsh Dubey helped push the total past the 300-run mark.
Delhi's chase
In reply, Delhi struggled without Ayush Badoni, who is on national duty, and the injured Rishabh Pant. They were bowled out for 224 in 45.1 overs, never really able to recover from Vidarbha’s early breakthroughs. Seamer Nachiket Bhute led the attack with four key wickets for 51 runs, breaking Delhi’s top order and returning to dismiss Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini in successive overs. Skipper and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey were also impressive, taking 3/36, while Praful Hinge chipped in with 2/54.
Anuj Rawat tried to shift the momentum
Wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat tried to shift the momentum of the game with a patient 66 off 98 balls, adding useful partnerships with Mayank Gusain, Harsh Tyagi, and Hrithik Shokeen. But wickets kept falling, and the required run rate kept rising. Rawat was eventually dismissed while trying to accelerate, and Shokeen fell in the same over, effectively ending Delhi’s hopes.
Delhi off to a good start
Delhi had started well through Priyansh Arya, who struck a quick 28 off 17 balls, but Bhute’s quick strikes turned the match in Vidarbha’s favor. Nitish Rana followed soon after with a golden duck, and by the 27th over, Delhi were 123/5, struggling to keep up with the target.
Earlier, Vidarbha had recovered from an early loss of Aman Mokhade, thanks to a 90-run partnership between Taide and Shorey. Rathod then anchored the innings with a fluent 86, striking eight fours and two sixes. Taide’s dismissal by Ishant Sharma also marked the veteran pacer’s 200th List A wicket.
With this win, Vidarbha continue their impressive run in the tournament and now look forward to another exciting semi-final clash against Karnataka.