Vidarbha storms into Vijay Hazare Trophy final with commanding win
Vidarbha secured a convincing six-wicket victory over Karnataka in the first semi-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. The match, played at the CoE ground in Bengaluru, saw standout performances from Aman Mokhade and Darshan Nalkande that propelled their team into the championship match.
Mokhade's masterclass seals the chase
Aman Mokhade played a decisive innings of 138 runs from just 122 deliveries. His century not only helped Vidarbha chase down Karnataka's target of 281 runs but also pushed him past Devdutt Padikkal in the tournament's run-scoring charts. Mokhade displayed excellent composure, balancing defensive solidity with aggressive strokeplay when needed.
Vidarbha faced an early setback when opener Atharva Taide fell for just six runs in the fourth over. However, Mokhade partnered with Dhruv Shorey to rebuild the innings carefully. The pair added 98 runs together before Shorey departed for 47. Mokhade then found another reliable partner in Ravikumar Samarth, who remained unbeaten on 76 as Vidarbha reached their target with 22 balls to spare.
Nalkande's bowling brilliance restricts Karnataka
Earlier in the day, Darshan Nalkande delivered an exceptional bowling performance that limited Karnataka to 280 all out. The right-arm pacer claimed five wickets for just 48 runs from his ten overs. His crucial intervention broke a dangerous 113-run partnership between Karun Nair and KL Shrijith that threatened to take the game away from Vidarbha.
Karnataka's innings had been built around that fourth-wicket stand between Nair and Shrijith. Nair played a conventional innings of 76 runs, while Shrijith provided the aggression with 54 runs from 49 balls. However, once Nalkande removed Nair, Karnataka's lower order failed to capitalize on the platform.
Key moments that shaped the match
- Yash Thakur dismissed tournament top-scorer Devdutt Padikkal for just four runs early in Karnataka's innings
- Vijaykumar Vyshak suffered a concussion during the match, forcing Karnataka to use a substitute fielder
- Mokhade reached his century in the 35th over with a leg-glance boundary off Vidyadhar Patil
- Vidarbha's new-ball bowlers created sustained pressure throughout Karnataka's innings
The victory marks Vidarbha's entry into the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, where they will face the winner of the second semi-final. For Karnataka, the defeat ends their campaign despite strong individual performances throughout the tournament.
Brief Scores: Karnataka 280 all out in 49.4 overs (Karun Nair 76, KL Shrijith 54; Darshan Nalkande 5/48) lost to Vidarbha 284/4 in 46.2 overs (Aman Mokhade 138, Ravikumar Samarth 76*) by six wickets.
