Vidarbha Stuns Karnataka in Vijay Hazare Semifinal, Mokhade's 138 Leads Chase

Vidarbha Topples Karnataka in Vijay Hazare Trophy Semifinal Clash

Vidarbha pulled off a stunning upset on Thursday night. They defeated defending champions Karnataka by six wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy semifinal. The match took place under the lights at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Aman Mokhade Anchors the Chase with a Masterful Century

Aman Mokhade shook off his recent lean patch in spectacular fashion. He played a match-winning innings of 138 runs from just 122 deliveries. Mokhade anchored Vidarbha's chase of Karnataka's total of 280 runs. He started his innings cautiously after the early loss of opener Atharva Taide. Mokhade then accelerated beautifully as his innings progressed.

He built two crucial partnerships that took the game away from Karnataka. First, he added 98 runs for the second wicket with Dhruv Shorey. Later, he put on a massive 147-run stand for the third wicket with Ravikumar Samarth. Samarth, a former Karnataka batter, remained not out on 76 runs. Vidarbha completed the chase comfortably with 22 balls to spare.

Karnataka's Innings Falters Despite a Fighting Partnership

Karnataka posted what seemed like a competitive total of 280 runs. However, their innings was hampered by disciplined bowling from the Vidarbha attack. Pacer Darshan Nalkande was the star with the ball for Vidarbha. He claimed an impressive five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5 for 48.

Karnataka's top order struggled early. Devdutt Padikkal managed only 4 runs, while captain Mayank Agarwal fell cheaply. This left Karun Nair and Krishnan Shrijith with the task of rebuilding the innings. The duo responded with a solid 113-run partnership that gave Karnataka hope. Nair scored 76 runs, and Shrijith contributed 54. However, once Nalkande broke the partnership, Vidarbha tightened their grip on the game. Karnataka failed to find the late acceleration they needed in the final overs.