Karnataka claimed the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 title with a convincing 36-run victory over Vidarbha in a high-scoring closing at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. Batting first, Karnataka posted a mammoth 348/6, due to Ravichandran Smaran‘s commanding 101 off 92 balls and quick-fire contributions from Abhinav Manohar (79 off 42) and Krishnan Shrijith (78 off 74).
Regardless of a valiant 110 off 111 balls by Vidarbha opener Dhruv Shorey and Harsh Dubey‘s explosive 63 off 30 balls within the latter levels, Vidarbha fell quick, getting bowled out for 312 in 48.2 overs. Karnataka’s Vasuki Koushik, Prasidh Krishna and Abhilash Shetty shared three wickets every, making certain their crew secured the silverware. Smaran was awarded Participant of the Match for his decisive century, whereas Vidarbha skipper Karun Nair, with a tournament-topping 779 runs, was named Participant of the Sequence.
Karnataka’s stellar batting within the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 closing
Karnataka’s innings was a masterclass in establishing a excessive complete below strain in a closing. After a shaky begin the place they misplaced Devdutt Padikkal and KV Aneesh cheaply, Smaran anchored the innings with an impressive 101 off 92 balls, mixing aggression and management. His partnerships with Shrijith (160-run stand) and later with Manohar have been pivotal. Shrijith’s regular 78 off 74 balls set a strong base, nevertheless it was Manohar’s breathtaking 79 off 42 balls, laced with 10 fours and 4 sixes, that propelled Karnataka previous 340. Their innings noticed a number of milestones, with Smaran and Shrijith reaching fifties in fast succession earlier than Smaran accomplished a century. Vidarbha’s bowlers, regardless of taking six wickets, struggled with consistency as Nachiket Bhute and Darshan Nalkande have been costly, conceding 67 and 68 runs respectively.
Vidarbha’s fightback led by Dhruv Shorey and Harsh Dubey
Vidarbha’s chase started with promise, due to a chic knock by Shorey. Opening the innings, Shorey showcased his class with a fluent 110 off 111 balls, combining textbook strokes with clever strike rotation. Nevertheless, he lacked substantial assist from the center order. Captain Nair and Yash Rathod made temporary contributions, however common wickets derailed the chase. The late surge got here from Dubey, who smashed 63 off simply 30 balls, maintaining Vidarbha’s hopes alive with highly effective sixes and limits. Regardless of their valiant efforts, Vidarbha’s innings collapsed below strain, with three wickets falling within the house of 10 runs in direction of the top. Karnataka’s bowlers, particularly Koushik and Shetty, ensured there was no miracle by sustaining tight traces within the loss of life overs.
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Karnataka’s bowling brilliance below strain
Defending 349, Karnataka’s bowlers confirmed resilience and tactical consciousness on a batting-friendly pitch. Koushik led the assault with figures of three/47 in his 10 overs, utilizing variations successfully to hassle the batters. Krishna, although costly with 84 runs in his quota, supplied essential breakthroughs, together with the dismissal of Vidarbha’s captain Nair. Shetty was instrumental with three wickets, together with the prized scalps of Shorey and Dubey at crucial junctures. Shreyas Gopal provided management within the center overs, conceding simply 55 runs in his 10 overs regardless of going wicketless. Karnataka’s fielding was sharp, with key catches and a run-out making certain Vidarbha by no means gained full momentum. Their skill to keep up composure within the loss of life overs sealed a memorable title victory.
Right here’s how Twitter reacted:
Congratulations to Karnataka for being topped the #VijayHazareTrophy champions. With 5 finals and 5 titles, they’ve set a benchmark of excellence in Indian cricket. A well-deserved victory, defeating Vidarbha by 36 runs. Happy with their relentless spirit and dedication! pic.twitter.com/9nbsrZcXMe
— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) January 18, 2025
Champions once more!
𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗮 defeats Vidarbha to carry 𝗧𝗵𝗲 #VijayHazareTrophy and grow to be champions for the fifth time! 
Kudos to the fantastic crew, and congratulations Karnataka 🎉 pic.twitter.com/Sb1vDTWI4u
— DK Suresh (@DKSureshINC) January 18, 2025
What an exciting #VijayHazare closing. Implausible batting by Smaran Ravichandran. Additionally, good present of batting by Harsh Dubey of Vidarbha, nearly 😅 gave a coronary heart on the finish. Good file for Karnataka 5/5 VH trophy closing wins. #KarnatakavsVidarbha pic.twitter.com/ugy6N5riMy
— ರೋಹಿತ್ ಕೆ ವಿ ಎನ್ | Rohit KVN (@kvnrohit) January 18, 2025
ವಿಜಯ್ ಹಜಾರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ವಿಜಯೋತ್ಸವ! 🏆
The profitable second as Karnataka clinches the #VijayHazareTrophy for the 5️⃣th time! 🤩
Congratulations to Devdutt Padikkal and Staff Karnataka on this proud achievement! 👏#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB
pic.twitter.com/8iXpiKtYEh— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) January 18, 2025
A journey of spin to win! 🌪️
Congrats, Shreyas on profitable the Vijay Hazare Trophy! 👏🏻🥳 #WhistlePodu #VijayHazareTrophy pic.twitter.com/NDOyXdw9ce— Chennai Tremendous Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 18, 2025
Congratulations to Karnataka on profitable the Vijay Hazare Trophy! An outstanding crew effort and a well-deserved victory. Happy with the boys for making us all proud. 🚩
ನಮ್ಮ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ, ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ! 💙 #VijayHazareTrophy #KarnatakaCricket https://t.co/nbaambDVsV
— Robbie Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) January 18, 2025
Congratulations, Staff Karnataka! One other Vijay Hazare Trophy for Karnataka. Nicely finished, guys! #Karnataka #VijayHazareTrophy
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) January 18, 2025
Congratulations to our power-hitter Abhinav and crew Karnataka 👏#PlayWithFire | #VijayHazareTrophy pic.twitter.com/NddztVs2wV
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) January 18, 2025
Vijay Hazare Trophy Champions once more! 🟡🔴🏆
ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್ ತಂಡಕ್ಕೆ ಹೃತ್ಪೂರ್ವಕ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು!👏#WeAreBFC #ನೀಲಿಎಂದೆಂದಿಗೂ #VijayHazareTrophy #KSCA #VHT2025
Picture credit: @mayankcricket pic.twitter.com/RkfD88gFv9
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) January 19, 2025
Champion feeling 😍😍 #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/PW8Q73nIDX
— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) January 18, 2025
