Cricket

Vijay Hazare Trophy December 2021

Tamil Nadu are set to start tomorrow’s final against Himachal Pradesh as the favourites in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scheduled to be played in Jaipur. The summit clash will start tomorrow at 9 am. Himachal Pradesh, led by former India player Rishi Dhawan, are aiming to win their first-ever Vijay Hazare title.&nbsp;&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh defeated Services by 77 runs and Tamil Nadu on the other hand, won a last ball thrilling match to oust Saurashtra by two wickets.&nbsp;After bagging the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy this season, Tamil Nadu will be hoping to win a double by claiming the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well.&nbsp;Tamil Nadu will be hoping to get the services of Baba Aparajith after the player improved his game since his return from the India A's tour of South Africa. The Tamil Nadu opener scored&nbsp;a terrific century against Saurashtra in the semi-final. Another opener N Jagadeesan on the other hand, also has been in good form after hammering a century against Karnataka and would be keen to put his failure in the semi-final behind and get his form back.&nbsp;Tamil Nadu’s formidable line-up which includes, Aparajith's twin brother Baba Indrajith, who hit a crucial half-century in the last-four match, skipper Vijay Shankar, experienced wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik along with the finishing firepower of M Shahrukh Khan and Washington Sundar can surely change the fortunes of the game at any point of time.&nbsp;&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh, which undoubtedly performed much better than the expectations, would depend a lot on skipper Rishi Dhawan. The 31-year old skipper will play a vital role for his side with both the bat and ball. He will have to lead from the front if his team aim to win its maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy.&nbsp;Although, Himachal would be more than pleased with the form of batter Prashant Chopra. The opening batsman played two-match winning knocks in the quarterfinal and semi-final, hitting 99 and 78 respectively, and would be eager to notify his abilities in the final.&nbsp;However, Himachal appears to be pretty much dependent on these three batters and others like Shubham Arora, Digvijay Rangi, Amit Kumar, Akash Vasisht need to notch runs for their side.

vijay-hazare-trophy-8-dec-2021

Tamil Nadu aim for double as they face Himachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare final

India's senior team are taking on South Africa in the Boxing Day Test match. At the same time, the final of the List A (50-over) Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament continues on India's home soil. In which the wicketkeeper, who is out of team India, smashed the bowlers of Himachal Pradesh while scoring a quickfire century. He hit 8 fours and 7 sixes during the innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh captain Rishi Dhawan won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Himachal bowlers had made a terrific start and within the 15th over of the innings, four Tamil Nadu batsmen went back to the pavilion, putting just 40 runs on board. But then it was Karthik's superb batting display. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer rescued his side and helped Tami Nadu to reach a mammoth total of 314.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tamil Nadu batsman Baba Indrajith also supported the wicketkeeper-batsman by playing an inning of 80 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Partnership with IndrajithThen Karthik, who came out to bat at number 5, handled the innings with Indrajith and carried it forward. Both of them did not allow the Himachal bowlers to create more pressure. The situation was such that there was a solid partnership of 202 runs between the two. Baba Indrajith scored 80 runs with Karthik and he got out when the team's score was 242 for five.&nbsp;However, by the time Baba Indrajith was out, Tamil Nadu had made a good comeback. After this, the 36-year old wicketkeeper also went on to score 116 runs off just 103 balls after scoring a century in the pursuit of hitting big shots.&nbsp;&nbsp;This means that during his century, Karthik scored 74 runs off just 15 balls. Apart from his century and Indrajith's innings, Shah Rukh Khan also scored 42 runs off 21 balls with the help of 3 fours and 3 sixes with a strike rate of 200.&nbsp;Due to their super batting display Tamil Nadu were successful in crossing the score of 300. Himachal in response, now will have to score 315 runs to win their maiden Vijay Hazare title.&nbsp;Pankaj Jaswal was the pick of the bowlers after he managed to scalp four crucial wickets.

Dinesh Karthik scores a quickfire century in the Vijay Hazare final against Himachal Pradesh

Sanju Samson’s Kerala got knocked out of Vijay Hazare Trophy after a comprehensive loss by seven wickets to Services in the quarter-final game. Only three Kerala batters scored in double digits as they suffered a major batting collapse and managed to score just 175 runs before getting bundled out.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rohan Kunnummal turned out to be the only Kerala batter who made an impact. Opener Kunnummal batted till the 37th over and scored 87 runs from 106 deliveries including seven fours and two sixes. Kerala did not get off to the best of starts as they lost opener Mohammed Azharuddeen for a single-digit score. Jalaj Saxena came to bat at no.3 but got out for a golden duck. Diwesh Pathania got both wickets with the new ball.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kunnummal and Vinoop Manoharan helped Kerala recover with the 81-run partnership for the third wicket. With Manoharan’s wicket in the 25th over, Kerala were under the pressure again. Sachin Baby scored in double digits but could not build on the start he got. Baby’s wicket in the 31st over triggered a batting collapse. Batting at no.6, Samson scored just two runs off eight deliveries. From 135/3, Kerala got bundled out for 175 in the 41st over. For Kerala, Pathania took three wickets for 19 runs in eight overs including two maidens.&nbsp;&nbsp;Defending a low total, Kerala got exactly what they needed in form of two early wickets in second over. Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan took two wickets in six overs he bowled and conceded 23 runs. However, the partnership between opener Ravi Chauhan and skipper Rajat Paliwal ruled out Kerala’s comeback. Chauhan missed his half-century and got out for 95 off 90 deliveries. His match-winning knock in the run chase including 13 fours and three sixes. Paliwal remained unbeaten for 65 off 86 deliveries playing the perfect captain’s knock after the initial scare.&nbsp;&nbsp;Services will now face Rishi Dhawan’s Himachal Pradesh in the first semi-final of the 50-over domestic tournament on December 24 at Sawai Mansingh stadium, Jaipur. If Services manage to beat Himachal Pradesh in the semi-final, they will qualify for their first Vijay Hazare Trophy final.&nbsp;

7 wickets for 40 runs, Samson’s Kerala surrender to Services in Vijay Hazare quarter-final

Venkatesh Iyer, India’s newest all-round sensation is making headlines once again.&nbsp;This time it’s due to his performance in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy. Iyer put on a show against Sanju Samson’s Kerala, notching up an 80-ball hundred to propel his side to 329 from their 50 overs. The all-rounder finished with 112 from 84 balls, a knock that included seven fours and four maximums.&nbsp;Batting at no.4, the southpaw shared a 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket from 135 deliveries. This is the 26-year-old’s third List A century and first in the season. In the previous game against Maharashtra he could not do much with the bat with a score of 14. With the ball, his only wicket was newly elected Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.&nbsp;IPL factorAfter bursting onto the scene in the second half of the IPL this year, Iyer has been on a dream run. He was mighty impressive for the Kolkata Knight Riders, prompting the franchise to retain him for the next IPL cycle as well. He scored 370 runs from 10 games at an average of 41.11 including four half-centuries. Owing to his wonderful accomplishments in the IPL, he was picked for the T20I series against New Zealand where he featured for the Men in Blue in all three matches. ODIs next for Iyer?Iyer’s performances, like the one against Kerala, are sure to catch the selectors’ eye. With Hardik Pandya battling form and fitness issues, Iyer’s selection in the 50-overs side might not be too far off especially with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) delaying the announced of ODI squad under the leadership of new captain Rohit Sharma. India next face South Africa in a 3-match ODI series starting in January. If Iyer can continue piling on the runs and prove his value with the ball, he might very well find himself on the flight to the African nation.

Venkatesh Iyer smashes Sanju Samson's bowlers to score 1st century of season

Ruturaj Gaikwad is on a roll and it does not seem to be stopping until he makes his ODI debut. Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 154 in a successful run chase against Chattisgarh in his second match of ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leading from the front, Gaikwad made a tricky run chase look easy. Playing a perfect captain’s knock, he scored at a strike rate of 107.69. The opener’s knock included 14 fours and five sixes which helped chasing the target of 276 with three overs to spare.&nbsp;This was the 24-year-old sensation’s second List A century within 24 hours. The previous hundred against Madhya Pradesh came in a run chase too. On December 8, chasing a daunting total of 329, Gaikwad got his team off to a great start on captaincy debut and also anchored the innings for a better part of the run chase.&nbsp;&nbsp;He scored at even better strike rate of 121.42 for his 136 off 112 deliveries including 14 fours and four sixes. His knock followed by good contributions from the middle order helped chase down the total with two balls to spare.&nbsp;With India’s ODI squad for South Africa yet to be announced, it will be hard for selectors to ignore the in-form Maharashtra captain. Even though India have plenty of openers in their side, Gaikwad can be picked as a backup opener. While Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have been seen as India’s long –term openers in the 50-over format, one good thing for Gaikwad is that KL Rahul has been given a role to strengthen the middle-order.&nbsp;&nbsp;The selectors have already made it clear that they want to keep an eye on the domestic tournament before announcing the squad for South Africa tour. Given Gaikwad’s current form, if he ends up becoming one of the top-scorers of the tournament if not the first, there is a very high probability that he will be on flight to South Africa.

2 centuries in 2 days! Ruturaj Gaikwad makes it hard for selectors to ignore him with unbeaten 154

Bihar teen sensation Malay Raj has become cynosure of all eyes with his magnificent spell which bundled Arunachal Pradesh to a ridiculously low score of 83 in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy. In reply, Bihar earned a facile victory with six wickets to spare.&nbsp;The 18-year-old Malay snared a fifer while conceding 38 runs in his 10 overs spell. This was Malay’s best bowling figures so for in the domestic circuit.&nbsp;The Patna-born right arm medium pacer was well complimented by his apprentices in the form of Sachin Kumar, who returned with an impressive figure of three wickets for six runs, and Sakibul Gani, who scalped two wickets for 29 for the winning side.&nbsp;The Arunachal Pradesh batting line never looked settled since the word go as Malay sent the Arunachal Pradesh opener Ngurang Tana to pavilion for a golden duck in the very first bowled. He followed it up with the wickets of Akash Singh (8) and and captain Techi Neri (7) in quick succession. Gani then dismissed Suraj Tayam for a duck and Nazeeb Saiyed for 4 runs.&nbsp;In the middle, Rajesh Bishnoi tried his best to bolster his side’s innings as he was the lone scorer with 25 runs but didn’t get the support from the other end. It was just not the day for Arunachal Pradesh as the entire team succumbed to Bihar fabulous bowling line-up.&nbsp;Batting second, Bihar batters initially looked out of touch as they were down with three wickets at the score of 20 but Pratyush Singh (28 not out) and Mangal Mahrour (21 not out) together steadied the boat. They stitched a 41-run partnership and made the light work of Arunachal bowlers to ensure an easy six-wicket win.&nbsp;&nbsp;From the losing side, Bishnoi was the only bowler who impressed with a modest spell of three wickets for 24. During his spell he got the scalp of Kumar Aditya (2 off 15), Washim Ashrar (10 off 32) and Kumar Rajnish (0).&nbsp;Bihar is currently sitting third followed by Tripura and Meghalaya in the Plate group.

18-year-old Bihar bowler’s sensational spell bundles out Arunachal Pradesh for 83

There is no stopping Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad as he has scored another century against Chandigarh to guide his side to a five-wicket victory in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22. The 24-year-old batsman now has four centuries in five games and he also became a part of the elite list of batsmen who have four centuries in the domestic 50-over tournament.&nbsp;Enters elite listPlayers like Indian Test team skipper Virat Kohli, Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal are part of this star-studded list. On Tuesday (December 14), Gaikwad scored 168 off 132 deliveries against Chandigarh, played at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium.&nbsp;&nbsp;Vohra gets Chandigarh to fighting totalBatting first, Chandigarh got off to a tremendous start after their skipper and opening batsman Manan Vohra score a century (141 off 139 deliveries). Arslan Khan (87 off 93 balls) and Ankit Kaushik (56 off 45 balls) were other two batters to cross the 50-run mark and helped their side to achieve a fighting total of 309 for 7 in 50 overs. Maharashtra’s Pradeep Dadhe was the best bowler as he managed to scalp four wickets.&nbsp;Gaikwad's solid responseIn reply, Maharashtra managed to get a blazing start. Skipper Gaikwad along with Yash Nahar put up a solid opening partnership of 109 runs. The 24-year-old was unfazed by the wickets falling at the other end and went on to score 168 from 132 balls. His innings comprised of 12 fours and six sixes. This century turned out to be his fourth in five matches, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star also completed 500 runs in the tournament.&nbsp;After Gaikwad's wicket, Azim Kazi played a crucial knock of 73 not out (from 79 deliveries) to help his side secure a thrilling victory.&nbsp;Gaikwad's purple patchGaikwad scored 136 against Madhya Pradesh and 154 not out against Chhattisgarh. The opener also became the top run-scorer in the last Indian Premier League (IPL) after he amassed 635 runs in 16 innings. This tally included 4 fifties and his maiden IPL hundred as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;He made his debut for the Indian team in the T20s in Sri Lanka and was also a part of the squad for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand. With a consistent run in the ongoing tournament, he is likely to be one of the top contenders to be selected for India's upcoming ODI series against South Africa which will be led by new skipper Rohit Sharma.

Ruturaj Gaikwad joins Virat Kohli and Prithvi Shaw with whirlwind 168 vs Chandigarh

India’s stylish all-rounder Hardik Pandya has opted to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-over domestic tournament) to continue his rehabilitation programme and regain his fitness as a bowler.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) had sent an e-mail to Hardik enquiring about his availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has rarely played for Baroda in last three years. However he gave a one-line reply that he is currently doing rehab in Mumbai," a senior official in BCA told PTI.&nbsp;The intriguing part is that the official has claimed that the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) does not know the nature of injury which has forced him to skip the major tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Even the BCA doesn't know. It is understood that he is trying to do some strength and conditioning module for his back which is no longer in best of shape post surgery in 2019," the source revealed.&nbsp;BCA instructs KrunalMeanwhile, Hardik’s brother Krunal was also instructed by the state board to attend the camp and not just join them few days before the clashes.&nbsp;&nbsp;"BCA told Krunal that he can't just land up during tournaments and he has to be a part of the camp. Then he came and trained with the team for a week," the source said.&nbsp;Ineligible for selectionThe 28-year-old will not be considered for selection if he does not play in the domestic tournaments. However, this won’t impact Hardik as earlier Sports Tak had reported that he has told selectors to not consider him for selection.&nbsp;"The current national selection committee has told all the players that all those who are not in the India squad should go back and play domestic cricket -- Hazare and Ranji Trophy," the source added.&nbsp;BCCI will announce ODI squad for South Africa tour later this month or early in January 2022. In Hardik’s absence, Venkatesh Iyer can be considered for selection as his replacement.&nbsp;

Hardik Pandya decides to skip Vijay Hazare Trophy to work on his fitness

Seamer Nafees Siddique could not have asked for a better start in his List A career after the 25-year old right-arm seamer scalped six wickets in his List A debut game against Manipur, played in Jaipur. &nbsp;&nbsp;Siddique’s terrific bowling display helped his side Meghalaya to register a mammoth 111-run victory in the Plate Group match of the Vijay Hazare trophy, on Saturday, played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.&nbsp;Batting first, Meghalaya posted a total of 258/7 in 50 overs. Meghalaya batter Chirag Khurana gave a good start to the innings after the opener scored 50 runs from 80 deliveries.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Meghalaya skipper Punit Bisht led from the front and helped his side to score a fightable total. Bisht got out after scoring 85 from 71 deliveries. No one else managed to score a half-century for Meghalaya.&nbsp;But the real damage was done by Siddique after the Meghalaya-born player disturbed the Manipur’s top-order by claiming four quick wickets. Manipur’s run chase seemed to be a daunting task after they were reduced to 28/5 inside just nine overs.&nbsp;Manipur’s L Kishan Singha (50 from 123 deliveries) did put up some fight after notching a half-century but his resistance turned out to be inadequate after he was bowled out by Siddique.&nbsp;&nbsp;Apart from Singha only two other batsmen- Nitesh Sedai (10 from 17 balls) and Johnson Singh (34 from 90 balls) could reach double digits. Eventually, Manipur were bundled out for a mere 147 in 49.2 overs.&nbsp;This victory turned out to be Meghalaya’s third consecutive win but they still remain at second spot with 12 points. Group leaders Tripura also have 12 points in their kitty and because of a better Net Run Rate they still claim the top spot.&nbsp;&nbsp;Brief Score:- Meghalaya 258/7 in 50 overs (Bisht 85, Khurana 50; Salam 2/65) beat Manipur 147/10 in 49.2 overs (Singha 50; Siddique 6/39) by 111 runs

Meghalaya's Nafees Siddique bags 6 wickets in memorable debut against Manipur

The now Rajasthan skipper Deepak Hooda, who&nbsp;left Baroda team after a spat with Krunal Pandya, belted a scintillating century against Karnataka in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday (December 19) .In his run-a-ball 109-run knock, Deepak smashed five sixes and nine boundaries but his team couldn’t make the best use of his innings and were folded for a lowly 199 in the prelimnary quarterfinal which was played in Jaipur.&nbsp;Karnataka will look to seal the match and progress in the tournament in pursuit of the coveted trophy.Deepak’s powerful knock came in the backdrop of the heated argument with the Krunal Pandya when they used to share the same dressing room in Baroda team.&nbsp;Hooda has been regular member of the Baroda senior team for the past few years and has represented Baroda in junior cricket too.Hooda alleged that Pandya has been trying to pull him down and also warned him that he would ensure he did not play for Baroda again.&nbsp;&nbsp;“At this moment, I am demoralised, depressed and under pressure. As from last some days and at least from last couple of days, my team captain Mr Kurnal Pandiya is using abusing language to me in front of my teammates and also other states teams who have come for participation at Reliance stadium Vadodara,” Hooda, who represented Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, wrote in a letter.&nbsp;Earlier in the year prior to the start of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Baroda captain Krunal Pandya was called out by Deepak Hooda for abusive behavior. He abandoned the bio-bubble that was kept in place for the players.

Hooda pummels ton for Rajasthan after leaving Baroda following spat with Krunal

New Delhi | Rishi Dhawan-led Himachal Pradesh registered a comprehensive five-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-final of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021. Himachal chased down a below par total of 208 with 27 balls to spare and qualify for the semi-final.&nbsp; Chopra misses century, Mavi’s hard work in vainOpener Prashant Chopra anchored the run chase. Chopra batted with a strike rate of 70.21, facing 141 deliveries for his 99 but held on to one end till the 41st over. He also shared a 122-run partnership for the second wicket with Nikhil Gangta who scored 58 runs from 59 deliveries. In-form Rishi failed to impress with the bat as he bagged a three-ball duck. In the end, it was too late for Uttar Pradesh for a comeback as there were not enough runs left to create pressure.&nbsp; Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled eight overs and conceded 34 runs. However, he failed to pick up a wicket with the new ball and the old. Shivam Mavi got the wicket of both openers. Mavi was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 34 runs in his nine overs. Ankit Rajpoot also picked up two wickets in the match including the breakthrough of Gangta. Rinku, Bhuvneshwar lead team to respectable totalIt was a horrid start for Uttar Pradesh as they were reduced to 39/4 in the 15th over. Vinay Galetiya was menacing with the new ball, taking three wickets. Galetiya conceded just 19 runs in his quota of 10 overs and bowled two maiden overs as well. Akshdeep Nath tried to stitch a partnership with Rinku Singh but struggled to score and got out for 32 off 65 deliveries.&nbsp; Rinku decided to stay in the middle for as long as he can. The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter found support in Bhuvneshwar. India’s bowling all-rounder’s 46-run knock off 52 deliveries helped Uttar Pradesh cross the 200-run mark in the death overs. He had a chance to get to his half-century off the last ball but Rishi knocked over his stumps. Bhuvneshwar scored three boundaries and the only six in the innings. They managed to post 207 for the loss of nine wickets.

Bhuvneshwar remains wicketless as Himachal beat Uttar Pradesh by 5 wickets in Vijay Hazare quarter-final

Another Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final turned out to be a one-sided affair as Saurashtra won the match by seven wickets with 20.1 overs left in the innings. Faiz Fazal-led Vidarbha were never in the game as they posted a total as low as 150 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.&nbsp;&nbsp;Early collapseAfter being put to bat first, Vidarbha got off to the worst possible start. While Fazal tried to survive the new ball, three Vidarbha top-order batters departed after scoring one run each. Saurashtra skipper Unadkat started the batting collapse with two quick wickets of opener Atharva Taide and Ganesh Satish with the new ball. Another left-arm pacer, Chetan Sakariya got the wicket with the new ball removing Yash Rathod as Vidarbha found themselves struggling at 9/3 in 7.5 overs.&nbsp;Wankhade's lone effortThe fourth-wicket partnership between Fazal and wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar showed promise but the latter got out after scoring 18 runs from 31 deliveries. With just one boundary in the first 20 overs, Fazal was struggling to score and lost his wicket for a score of 23 after facing 59 deliveries. Apoorv Wankhade turned out to be the lone warrior in the Vidarbha side saving them from getting bundled out below 100. While everyone struggled to score, Wankhade took the counter-attack approach and hit five fours and as many sixes in his 72-run knock of 69 deliveries. He was the ninth batter to fall and two balls later in the 41st over Vidarbha were bundled out for a disappointing first innings total of 150.&nbsp;&nbsp;Early wickets but easy chase&nbsp;Chasing a total of 151, Saurashtra did not get off to a great start either. Opener Vishvaraj Jadeja got out for an eight-ball duck whereas Harvik Desai scored just nine runs from 11 deliveries. Wicketkeeper-batter Sheldon Jackson too got out after adding 15 runs to the scoreboard as Saurashtra found themselves struggling for 35/3 in the 10th over. Prerak Mankad and Arpit Vasavda ensured that there was smooth sailing thereafter. Mankad remained unbeaten on 77 off 72 deliveries including 10 fours and two sixes. He shared an unbeaten 118-run stand for the fourth wicket with Arpit Vasavada playing a patient knock of 41 off 66 deliveries.&nbsp;Saurashtra will now face Tamil Nadu in the second semi-final fixture on December 24 at KL Saini Ground, Jaipur.

Unadkat’s Saurashtra beat Vidarbha with 121 balls to spare; reach Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final

While Hardik Pandya is failing to justify the all-rounder tag and is currently working on his fitness, his brother Krunal on the other hand seems to be doing the hard yards. Krunal’s all-round performance helped his side Baroda to secure a record victory against Tamil Nadu after scoring just a mere total of 114, in a Vijay Hazare Tournament 2021-22 match.&nbsp;Eventually, Baroda managed to successfully defend the small total of 114 against Tamil Nadu. This is the second-lowest total successfully defended in a List A game in India (unaffected games). The lowest total still remains to be 82, scored by South Zone against North Zone back in 1993, played in Surat.&nbsp;Gritty inning amidst batting collapseBaroda batsmen seemed totally clueless against the Tamil Nadu bowlers in the Vijay Hazare fixture played in Mangalapuram. Only three Baroda batters – Krunal Pandya, Shashwat Rawat and Mitesh Patel – &nbsp;managed to reach the two-digit mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;Out of all the Baroda players, only Krunal seemed to be calm and patient, with an aim to bat as long as possible instead of scoring quick runs. Krunal notched a hard-earned 38 from 82 deliveries. His innings comprised of three boundaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tamil Nadu bowlers were on fire from the very beginning but lack of discipline in their bowling led to 25 extra runs, otherwise, the ultimate results could have easily gone in favour of Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;In reply, Tamil Nadu batters looked nervous or the sight of a small total might have made them overconfident which eventually led to a shambolic batting display. Wickets kept on falling on one hand and on the other runs were not being scored either.&nbsp;&nbsp;Krunal's spell in record bowling displayTamil Nadu lost their first wicket in the fourth over of the match and lost half of their batsmen in the 12th over of the run chase. Krunal’s economical bowling display earned him two crucial wickets of opener Narayan Jagadeesan and Baba Indrajith. The left-arm spinner bowled five overs and conceded just 16 runs. Other bowlers – Bhargav Bhatt and Gurjindersingh Mann picked up two wickets each.&nbsp;Eventually, Tamil Nadu were bundled out for just 73 runs. A 42-run victory against Tamil Nadu meant that Baroda claim the third spot in Elite Group B, bagging eight points from three matches. Tamil Nadu finish their Elite Group B fixtures at second spot with 12 points from five games.&nbsp;

All-rounder Krunal Pandya shines as Baroda defend lowest total in Vijay Hazare Trophy history

Venkatesh Iyer’s superb form seems to have finally paid off after the sensational all-rounder is all set to book his berth in the ODI squad for the upcoming South Africa tour.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 25-year old scored a blistering 151 off 113 deliveries to seal a victory for his side Madhya Pradesh against Chandigarh in the Group D fixture of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22. MP eventually managed to secure a win by 5 runs in a nail-biting clash played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot.&nbsp;Iyer’s innings was comprised of 8 fours and 10 sixes with a strike rate of 133.62. But Iyer’s terrific form did not stop with the bat only as the all-rounder managed to scalp two wickets as well. Iyer is currently at second spot among the highest run-scorers in Vijay Hazare Trophy.&nbsp;&nbsp;The new Indian sensation came down to bat when his side were 56 for 4. A solid 122-run stand between Iyer and skipper Aditya Shrivastava helped MP to score an impressive total of 331 for 9 in 50 overs.&nbsp;In reply, Chandigarh skipper Manan Vohra scored a ton and Ankit Kaushik managed to notch a century as well. Chandigarh came pretty close to secure a victory but could eventually manage to score 326 for 8 in 50 overs.&nbsp;Against Kerala, Iyer scored 112 runs off just 84 deliveries and against Uttarakhand he played a crucial knock of 71 off just 49 deliveries. His side are currently at second spot in Group D with 12 points (three wins and one defeat).&nbsp;Iyer, had recently made his India debut against New Zealand in the three-match T20I series. His terrific form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will surely give the selectors some headache when they will have to select the squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa. So, can Iyer turn out to be a suitable replacement for Hardik Pandya? Only time will tell.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Venkatesh Iyer's superb form continues; set to replace Hardik Pandya against SA

The orange cap winner from this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) is having a golden run with the bat. Be it in the Yellow of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or the Yellow of his domestic side Maharashtra, Gaikwad’s not letting go of that purple patch. Gaikwad, who was made captain of Maharashtra ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22, repaid the faith with a sensational hundred against Madhya Pradesh in his side’s opening encounter. Gaikwad led from the front, scoring 136 off just 112 balls as Maharashtra chased down a massive target of 329 in their opening group encounter. He got to his hundred off just 85 balls, crunching 14 fours and 4 sixes during his stay at the crease. Gaikwad's 136 nullified the centuries of Madhya Pradesh batters Shubham Sharma and Aditya Shrivastava in the first innings. Next big thing in Indian cricket?After helping CSK win their fourth IPL crown, Gaikwad was also terrific in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. Even though his side failed to reach the knockouts, the young Indian batsman amassed 259 runs in five innings, averaging 52 at a strike rate close to 150. While CSK rewarded Gaikwad by retaining him for the next IPL cycle, his batting prowess will surely make the selectors take notice. And if he keeps pulling off performances as he did against Madhya Pradesh, it will not be long before he's a part of the mighty Indian squad especially when Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to announce the limited-overs squad for South Africa later on. In November, he was a part of India's T20I squad against New Zealand but did not get a chance to bat.

Ruturaj Gaikwad – India’s newest opening sensation is on a dream run with century on captaincy debut

Himachal Pradesh skipper Rishi Dhawan has once again stamped his authority in the domestic circuit through his all-round show as they drubbed Odisha in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22.&nbsp;Batting first, Himachal rode on Rishi’s unbeaten 91 to set up a mammoth total of 360. Rishi doubled it with an impressive spell of three wickets for 51 runs. In reply, Odisha ran out of steam and were bowled out to 297 while chasing such a competitive target.&nbsp;Rishi’s quickfire unbeaten knock came off in mere 58 balls which was decorated with three big ones and 10 boundaries. He came to bat in the 29th over of the innings when the score was 154/3. With Nikhil Gangta firing from the other end, the two shared a 111-run stand in just 13 overs. Rishi did the bulk of the scoring in the death overs with valuable contributions from the lower-middle order batters. &nbsp;&nbsp;The other batters who dazzled for Himachal beside their captain were Shubham Arora who smashed 69 off 88 deliveries. Prashant Chopra also contributed with a sedate 64 off 73 balls. Nikhil’s stylish 81 came off 57 deliveries. The quickfire knock was studded with two sixes and 11 fours.&nbsp;In bowling, Mayank Dagar stood tall with a splendid spell of six for 59 for the winners where he got the scalps of Anurag Sarangi (66 off 47), Govinda Podar (11), Rajesh Dhuper (34), Abhishek Raut (7), Bikash Rout (2) and Sunil Roul (0). Odisha skipper Subhranshu Senapati was the lone performer for his side with 82 off 76 balls.&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh is currently topping the chart in the Elite Group ‘A’ of Vijay Hazare Trophy.&nbsp;Domestic and IPL performances&nbsp;This is not the first time, the 31-year-old from Mandi has hogged limelight in the domestic cricket. He first made the headlines as a 16-year-old in 2006, when he cracked 340 runs for Himachal in an Under-19 match against Railways in the Cooch Behar Trophy. Three years later, he was fast-tracked into the first-class setup, where his bowling performances overshadowed his batting.&nbsp;Rishi made his International debut against Australia in January 17, 2016. His IPL career also came to the fore when Punjab Kings (rechristened from Kings XI Punjab) signed him for INR 3 crores in 2014. His performances have been steady, if not spectacular, having been used mainly as a stop-gap bowling option.

Last played for India in 2016, 31-year-old all-rounder hits 58-ball 91 ahead of SA tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the ODI team for the tour of South Africa (SA) in the next few days. The selectors will have their eyes on the ongoing domestic tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy which has experienced and young guns participating in it.&nbsp;It is expected that the players who will perform well in this tournament can be included in the ODI team for the tour of South Africa. But for someone like Shikhar Dhawan, the Vijay Hazare is turning out to be a long nightmare. Dhawan has played five games in this domestic 50-over tournament so far, in which only 56 runs have come off his bat. So far, Dhawan's scores are – 0, 12, 14, 18 and 12.&nbsp;&nbsp;Saba Karim's viewsEarlier former Indian selector Saba Karim had expressed his concern over Dhawan's place in the side. Despite a good run in IPL 2021, the left-handed opener has not played a single international game since he led a second-string team against Sri Lanka tour in June.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Even if Dhawan is there in the squad, will he be part of the playing XI? K. L. Rahul and Rohit Sharma have opened in Tests and T20s, so I think they will open in ODIs as well. So, if you are including Dhawan in the squad and not playing him, should he be in the team," Saba opined on his Youtube channel.&nbsp;With players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer firing on all cylinders in the List A format, Dhawan's place in the ODI side may be in jeopardy.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It would be difficult for Shikhar Dhawan to come back into this side. I still think that he should be given one more opportunity because he is a big player with experience. Have to see what the selectors and the team management think. I don’t think Delhi will qualify for the knockouts, so Dhawan has to prove by scoring runs and he only has one more match to do so," Karim added.&nbsp;No second chance?Despite the credential and experience, the time is ticking away for 36-year-old Dhawan, who was once India’s celebrated opener in white-ball cricket. He did not even get a chance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2021. The Delhi-born batter was expected to make a mark in the domestic tournament but a string of bad performances will give selectors headache.&nbsp;

With scores of 0, 12, 14, 18 & 12 in Vijay Hazare Trophy, will Dhawan get a ticket to SA?

There is no stopping Ruturaj Gaikwad. The 24-year old batsman maintains his outstanding form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare 2021-22 Trophy. Gaikwad hit his third successive century for Maharashtra against Kerala at the Mahdavo Scindia Cricket Ground in Rajkot on Saturday.&nbsp;The Maharashtra opener set the stage on fire scoring 124 from 129 deliveries. His innings was comprised of nine boundaries and three over boundaries. In the 46th over, Kerala’s Suresh Visheshwar dismissed Gaikwad after the batsman was caught by wicket-keeper Sanju Samson. Maharashtra eventually posted a concrete total of 291/8 in 50 overs against Kerala.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pune-born batsman looked determined to do something fruitful from the very beginning of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored a blistering 136 form just 112 deliveries against Madhya Pradesh, in Rajkot and helped his side to successfully chase 329 runs. Gaikwad hit 14 boundaries and 4 sixes in that innings.&nbsp;In the second game against Chhatishgarh, Gaikwad scored 154 from only 143 balls to guide Maharashtra to 8-wicket victory. The Maharashtra opening batsman has till now scored a total of 414 runs from the three group matches.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ruturaj Gaikwad needs one more hundred in this tournament to join a lucrative list of batsmen who hit 4 hundreds in the domestic 50-over tournament- Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and Prithvi Shaw. Moreover, Padikkal became the only batter to hit 4 successive hundreds in a single season of Vijay Hazare Trophy - a feat that Gaikwad can match if he gets another hundred against Uttarakhand in their fourth match on Sunday.&nbsp;Gaikwad is surely setting up a well built platform for himself to get selected in the Indian ODI squad for the 3-match series in South Africa scheduled to be played in January 2022. The Chennai Super Kings batter was one of the 4 players retained by the 4-time champions, for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Gaikwad won the Orange Cap for the most number of runs scored in IPL 2021, notching 635 runs in CSK's run to the title.

Ruturaj Gaikwad hits 3 consecutive hundreds in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Baba Aparajith and Washington Sundar’s heroics helped Tamil Nadu beat Saurashtra in a hard-fought semifinal. While Aparajith scored a crucial century, Sundar scored a quick 70 and helped Tamil Nadu cope up with the run rate. With this win, Tamil Nadu have reached Vijay Hazare finals for the record seventh time.&nbsp;Earlier, after putting a mammoth total of 310 on the board, Saurashtra pacer Chetan Sakariya started superbly for his team. The left-arm quick accounted for in-form N Jagdessan in the very first over. He then dismissed Tamil Nadu skipper Vijay Shankar in the next over.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Baba Aparajith kept the scoring rate up for Tamil Nadu with continuous striking.&nbsp;Tamil Nadu won the toss and elected to field first.&nbsp;Vishvaraj Jadeja got&nbsp;Saurashtra off to a quick start, scoring 52 off 74 deliveries while&nbsp;Arpit Vasavada scored 57 off just 40 balls. However, it was&nbsp;Sheldon Jackson with his 134 from 125 deliveries who performed amazingly with the bat as&nbsp;Saurashtra put&nbsp;310/8 on the board.&nbsp;Vijay Shankar was the pick of the bowlers with&nbsp;4 wickets under his belt but conceded 74 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the run chase, Baba Aparajith scored 122 opening the innings for TN, with Baba Indrajith (50) and Washington Sundar (70) both helping Tamil Nadu reach close to the total.&nbsp;&nbsp;For Saurashtra, Chetan Sakariya picked up 5 wickets for 62 but that was not enough as Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore scored a boundary off the last ball with the team needing 1 from 1 to seal victory.&nbsp;Victory for Himachal PradeshOn the other hand, Himachal Pradesh captain Rishi Dhawan was the best performer with bat and ball as Himachal Pradesh beat Services by 77 runs to march into the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22.&nbsp;&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh is now scheduled to face Tamil Nadu in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday (December 26) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to face each other in the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy

Himachal Pradesh opener Shubham Arora scored a brilliant century to help his side claim their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title, beating Tamil Nadu in the final match by 11 runs (VJD method), played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur. The umpires eventually had to call off the play due to bad light. Himachal Pradesh were 11 runs ahead of the par score -288 at 47.3- when the play was stopped and they were announced winners.&nbsp;The 24-year old opening batsman scored a fantastic 136 not out off 131 balls to help his side in winning their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy. The opener’s innings comprised of 13 boundaries and one six. Arora got support from his fellow teammate Amit Kumar who scored 74 off 79 deliveries in the fourth-wicket partnership. His innings was laced with six boundaries.&nbsp;Karthik saves the dayEarlier Himachal Pradesh skipper Rishi Dhawan won the toss and elected to bowl first. Batting first, Tamil Nadu scored a formidable total of 314 all out in 49.4 overs. Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik played a terrific inning of 116 off just 103 deliveries to help his side reach a solid total.&nbsp;&nbsp;Before the final the wicketkeeper-batsman was Tamil Nadu’s top run-scorer with 260 runs from seven matches at an average of 43.33. He had smashed 2 fifties before the final. The experience of Karthik was expected to come handy in the final clash and It did come handy but eventually that was not enough for Tamil Nadu who were aiming for a double after claiming the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Himachal bowlers had good start and within the 15th over of the innings, four Tamil Nadu batsmen were dismissed back to the pavilion, putting just 40 runs on board. But then it was Karthik's show. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer rescued his side and helped his steam in reaching a solid total of 314.&nbsp;&nbsp;For Tamil Nadu, batsman Baba Indrajith also supported the wicketkeeper-batsman by playing an inning of 80 runs.&nbsp;Partnership with IndrajithThen Karthik, who came out to bat at number 5, managed the innings calmly with Indrajith and took it forward. Both the batsmen did not give the Himachal bowlers any chance to look terrifying. A solid partnership of 202 runs between the two changed the momentum of the game. Indrajith scored 80 runs with Karthik and he got out when the team's score was 242 for five.However, by the time Indrajith was out, Tamil Nadu had made a good comeback. After this, the 36-year old wicketkeeper went on to score 116 runs off 103 balls after scoring a century in the pursuit of hitting big shots.&nbsp;&nbsp;During his century, Karthik notched 74 runs off just 15 balls through boundaries. Apart from his century and Indrajith's innings, later Shah Rukh Khan also scored 42 runs off 21 balls with the help of 3 fours and 3 sixes and with a strike rate of 200.&nbsp;Due to their impressive batting display Tamil Nadu managed to cross the score of 300. Pankaj Jaswal was the pick of the bowlers for Himachal Pradesh as he managed to scalp four crucial wickets.&nbsp;Arora's tonIn reply, Himachal Pradesh opener Arora looked dangerous from the beginning but he was lacking a telling support from the other end. But eventually, it was Kumar who came to his side's rescue and scored a half-century to seal the maiden title for his side.&nbsp;For Tamil Nadu, bowlers like Sandeep Warrier and Vijay Shankar could not even pick up a single wicket.&nbsp;&nbsp;The two teams - Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu made it to the final in a pretty contrasting manner. While Rishi Dhawan-led Himachal reached into the final beating Services by 77 runs, Tamil Nadu on the other hand, won a last-ball thriller to knock out Saurashtra by two wickets.&nbsp;What is VJD mehtod?The VJD method is a method of calculating target scores in limited-over cricket matches, devised by V Jayadevan. It is a method that is an alternative to the DLS (Duckworth, Lewis and Sterne) method. The VJD method was considered for use in the fourth and fifth seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Himachal Pradesh opener's unbeaten 136 leads them to maiden Vijay Hazare title win, Karthik's century in vain

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