Padikkal’s Heroics Brighten Karnataka’s Festive Spirit with Unprecedented Chase in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

The Christmas cake will undoubtedly taste sweeter for Devdutt Padikkal and his Karnataka teammates after they kicked off their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 campaign with a triumphant start. They successfully chased down a record total at the Narendra Modi Stadium Ground B on Wednesday.

A tense atmosphere in the Karnataka camp during the lunch break gradually transformed into enthusiastic claps and whistles, as captain Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal unleashed a series of boundaries to give the team an explosive start.

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Padikkal commented, “Both of us approached the game with positivity from the outset, and the wicket was perfect for strokeplay. The bowlers lacked control, and we took advantage of that. My aim was to stay until the end, and I’m disappointed I couldn’t finish the match. Their spinners bowled well, so our strategy was to play them out and wait for the pacers to return. Starting with a century is great, and I’m happy to have contributed to the win.”

Captain Agarwal added, “To be honest, we didn’t have a specific plan for the chase, but we knew the importance of batting well in the first 30 overs. Padikkal’s strong start gave us the momentum, which the other batters maintained. We felt victory was in sight when we were around 220 by the 30th over. Defending over 190 in the final 20 overs on a flat wicket was bound to be challenging. Abhinav Manohar and young Dhruv Prabhakar deserve praise for their excellent partnership under pressure.”

Published on Dec 24, 2025