The 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy witnessed a masterclass from young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, whose spectacular century propelled Uttar Pradesh to a commanding victory. Meanwhile, defending champions Mumbai continued their dominant run with a comprehensive win, highlighting another action-packed day in India's premier domestic one-day competition.
Dhruv Jurel's Stunning Century Steals the Show
In a Group B encounter at the Sanosara Cricket Ground A in Rajkot on Monday, December 29, 2025, Uttar Pradesh posted a mammoth total of 369 for 7 against Baroda. The architect of this imposing score was the 24-year-old Dhruv Jurel, who remained not out on a scintillating 160 runs from just 101 deliveries. Walking in at number three during the 15th over, Jurel anchored the innings till the very end, displaying a mix of power and precision.
He found a reliable partner in captain Rinku Singh, with whom he added 131 runs for the fourth wicket. Singh contributed a valuable 63 off 67 balls. A late flourish was provided by Prashant Veer, who scored a quickfire 35 from 23 balls. For Baroda, pacer Lukman Meriwala was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4 wickets for 74 runs.
In response, Baroda fought valiantly but fell short by 54 runs, being bowled out for 315 in their 50 overs. Captain Krunal Pandya led from the front with a 77-ball 82, and opener Shashwat Rawat scored 60. However, the lack of another substantial partnership in the face of a huge target proved decisive. Uttar Pradesh's bowlers shared the wickets, with Shivam Mavi being the most successful.
Mumbai's Bowling Prowess Crushes Chhattisgarh
In Group C, Mumbai delivered a clinical performance to rout Chhattisgarh by nine wickets at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur. The foundation was laid by a devastating bowling display from captain Shardul Thakur and left-arm spinner Shams Mulani. Thakur was virtually unplayable, taking 4 wickets for just 13 runs in his five overs. Mulani complemented him perfectly, weaving a web around the batters to finish with excellent figures of 5 for 31 in 9.1 overs.
Chhattisgarh was bundled out for a paltry 142 in 38.1 overs, with only Amandeep Khare offering resistance with a 63-run knock. Mumbai's chase was a mere formality. Openers Prithvi Shaw and Angkrish Raghuvanshi provided a solid start, and after Shaw's dismissal, Raghuvanshi (68*) and Siddesh Lad (48*) finished the job without any further alarms, reaching 144 for 1 in just 24 overs.
Other Key Results and Highlights
Karnataka Edges Past Tamil Nadu in Southern Derby
In a high-stakes Group A clash in Ahmedabad, Karnataka defeated arch-rivals Tamil Nadu by four wickets. Chasing 289, Karnataka was guided home by KL Shrijith's 77 off 78 balls and a crucial 116-run partnership with skipper Mayank Agarwal (58). All-rounder Shreyas Gopal's brisk 55 off 47 balls sealed the win with 17 balls to spare. Earlier, Abhilash Shetty's 4-wicket haul (4/57) restricted Tamil Nadu to 288. The loss prompted former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to question Tamil Nadu's direction on social media platform X.
Ghosh's 7-Wicket Haul in Vain for Maharashtra
In a heartbreaking Group C match in Jaipur, Maharashtra pacer Ramakrishna Ghosh produced a sensational spell of 7 wickets for 42 runs, yet ended up on the losing side. His heroics restricted Himachal Pradesh to 271, built on Pukhraj Mann's 110. In reply, Maharashtra captain Ankit Bawne fought a lone battle with 97, but his team fell agonizingly short by 7 runs, finishing at 264 all out.
Brief Scores from Other Matches:
- Group A: Tripura (286) beat Rajasthan (220) by 66 runs.
- Group B: Bengal (321/7) beat Chandigarh (319) by 3 wickets.
- Group C: Uttarakhand (270/5) beat Punjab (269/8) by 5 wickets.
- Group D: Delhi (321/7) beat Saurashtra (320/7) by 3 wickets.
The day's results have significant implications for the knockout race, with teams like Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, and Karnataka strengthening their positions, while others like Tamil Nadu face an uphill battle to qualify for the next stage.
