Karnataka Storms into Semis; Tamil Nadu Overpowers Tripura in Vijay Hazare 2025-26

Karnataka showcased its prowess in both defending totals and chasing targets, securing a dominating 150-run victory over Rajasthan to advance to the knockout stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy cricket tournament at Gujarat College ground, Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.

Opening batsmen Mayank Agarwal (100 off 109 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixes) and Devdutt Padikkal (91 off 82 balls, 12 fours, 2 sixes) put together another century partnership as Karnataka swiftly reached 184 in just 28.2 overs. Padikkal, unfortunately, fell short of his fifth hundred in the tournament, bowled by Manav Suthar who delivered a faster ball as Padikkal attempted a cut shot.

Mayank capitalized on a missed opportunity by Aditya Rathore at the midwicket boundary off Suthar’s bowling when he was on 50. Although he completed his second century of the tournament, he was dismissed shortly afterward. Following the milestone, Karnataka experienced regular wickets loss, allowing Rajasthan to restrict them to a lower total than anticipated.

Rajasthan struggled to mount a chase after losing its key batsmen during the PowerPlay. Shreyas Gopal bowled out the threatening Deepak Hooda for 29, and while Karan Lamba took on the spinners to score 55, he was eventually dismissed attempting another big shot against left-arm spinner Sreesha Achar. Prasidh Krishna returned to dismantle the lower-order, cementing Karnataka’s comprehensive victory.

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Vishnu Vinod powered Kerala to an eight-wicket victory over Pondicherry, keeping their knockout prospects alive. Displaying aggressive batting, Vishnu remained unbeaten with 162 runs (84 balls, 13 fours, 14 sixes), as Kerala chased down a 253-run target with 21 overs to spare. B. Aparajith contributed with 63 not out, forming a formidable 222-run partnership with Vishnu for the second wicket. Earlier, Pondicherry’s last five wickets crumbled for only 16 runs, thanks to Kerala medium pacers M.D. Nidheesh (4 for 41) and Eden Apple Tom (2 for 33).

Tamil Nadu secured a crucial victory over Tripura with a 54-run margin. Medium pacer Gurjapneet Singh (6 for 26) played a pivotal role in Tamil Nadu’s success as Tripura, in pursuit of 260, was bowled out for 205 in 42.4 overs. Gurjapneet disrupted Tripura’s innings by claiming three wickets in his initial spell and later returning to clean up the tail.

Published on Jan 06, 2026