admin
Vidarbha booked their place in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (Elite) 2025-26 final with a clinical six-wicket win over Karnataka at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Karnataka, after winning the toss and opting to bat, were jolted early. Skipper Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal fell inside the first seven overs and, when Dhruv Prabhakar departed soon after, Karnataka were 74 for 3 and searching for stability. Karun Nair provided it with a measured 76 off 90 balls, choosing percentage cricket through the middle overs and punishing anything loose. Wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith added urgency with a 54-ball 54, and their 113-run fourth-wicket stand lifted Karnataka to 187 for 4.
Vidarbha, though, hit back hard at the death. Darshan Nalkande produced the spell of the innings, finishing with 5 for 48 to rip through the middle and lower order and deny Karnataka late acceleration. Shreyas Gopal (36) and Abhinav Manohar (26) offered brief resistance, but wickets fell in clusters once the set batters were separated. Karnataka were bowled out for 280 in 49.4 overs, adding only 93 runs after reaching 187 for 4. Yash Thakur returned 2 for 64, while Nachiket Bhute took 1 for 46 and Yash Kadam 1 for 39.
Chasing 281, Vidarbha lost Atharva Taide early and were 9 for 1, but the response was calm rather than cautious. They were 32 for 1 after the first 10 overs before Dhruv Shorey (47 off 64) and Aman Mokhade began to control the tempo. Mokhade’s 138 off 122 balls, laced with 12 fours and two sixes, was the defining act of the semi-final, a knock that balanced control early with clean acceleration once the platform was set.
With Ravikumar Samarth for company, Mokhade turned the chase into a procession. Their 147-run partnership for the third wicket carried Vidarbha from 107 for 2 to 254 for 3, draining the pressure out of the contest and keeping the required rate firmly in check. Samarth stayed unbeaten on 76 off 69, ensuring there were no late stumbles even after Mokhade fell. Karnataka’s Abhilash Shetty fought with 3 for 48, but Vidarbha finished on 284 for 4 in 46.2 overs to win with 22 balls to spare.
Mokhade was named player of the match, and Vidarbha now await the winner of the second semi-final (Saurashtra vs Punjab) in the summit clash.
