New Delhi [India], December 26 : Half-centuries from Virat Kohli and skipper Rishabh Pant for Delhi, Vidarbha's Dhruv Shorey's record for most consecutive centuries in List A cricket, Devdutt Padikkal and Karun Nair's centuries for Karnataka, Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan's fifties for Mumbai, Shubham Kumar Singh's six-wicket haul for Jharkhand, Anmolpreet Singh and Harnoor Singh's century for Punjab, Rinku Singh's 60-ball 106 unbeaten for Uttar Pradesh amongst others, were the highlights from the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) matches on Friday.
In the Delhi vs Gujarat match at Bengaluru, Delhi secured a narrow 7-run victory. Sent in to bat first, Delhi posted a competitive total of 254/9 in their 50 overs, anchored by veteran star Virat Kohli, who smashed a quick-fire 77 off 61 balls (including 13 fours and a six), and captain Rishabh Pant, who contributed a steady 70. Gujarat's Vishal Jayswal was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 42 runs to keep Delhi's total within reach.
In response, Gujarat appeared to be in a commanding position at 121/1 before a middle-order collapse shifted the momentum back to Delhi. Despite a fighting 57 from Aarya Desai and a late charge by Saurav Chauhan (49), Gujarat was eventually bowled out for 247 in 47.4 overs. Prince Yadav was the hero with the ball for Delhi, picking up 3/37, while veterans Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini provided crucial breakthroughs to seal the win. Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match for his decisive knock in what was reported to be his final domestic appearance of the season.
In the Mumbai vs Uttarakhand match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Mumbai secured a 51-run victory over Uttarakhand. Despite the early shock of Rohit Sharma being dismissed for a golden duck--just days after his sensational 155--Mumbai recovered to post a formidable total of 331/7 in their 50 overs. The innings was revitalised by half-centuries from Musheer Khan (55) and Sarfaraz Khan (55), before Hardik Tamore provided a late explosive finish with an unbeaten 93 off 82 balls. Deepender Singh Bora was the pick of the bowlers for Uttarakhand, finishing with figures of 3/74.
Uttarakhand's chase was spearheaded by a valiant effort from opener Yuvraj Chaudhary, who fell just short of a century with 96 off 96 balls. He found support in Jagadeesha Suchith (51), but the mounting required run rate and disciplined bowling from Mumbai proved too much to overcome. Mumbai's Shardul Thakur led the attack with a clinical performance, taking 2/28, while Onkar Tarmale also chipped in with two wickets to restrict Uttarakhand to 280/9 in 50 overs.
In a high-scoring clash in Rajkot, Uttar Pradesh secured a massive 227-run victory over Chandigarh, fueled by a spectacular batting performance. Captain Rinku Singh stole the show with a blistering unbeaten 106 off just 60 balls, a knock featuring 11 boundaries and four sixes. He was well-supported by opener Aryan Juyal, who anchored the innings with a brilliant 134 off 118 balls with seven fours and eight sixes, and Dhruv Jurel (67). Their collective efforts propelled Uttar Pradesh to a mammoth total of 367/4 in their 50 overs, leaving Chandigarh with a mountain to climb.
Chandigarh's response never gained momentum as they struggled against a clinical Uttar Pradesh bowling attack. They were eventually bundled out for a mere 140 in 29.3 overs, with bowlers Zeeshan Ansari being the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4/29.
In another high-scoring match, between Vidarbha and Hyderabad, Vidarbha clinched an 89-run victory. Vidarbha's batting lineup fired on all cylinders to post a massive total of 365/5 in their 50 overs. The charge was led by Dhruv Shorey, who struck a sublime unbeaten 109 off 77 balls, and opener Aman Mokhade, whose steady 82 laid a strong foundation. Yash Rathod (68) and Ravikumar Samarth (63) also weighed in with crucial half-centuries, leaving the Hyderabad bowlers, including Kartikeya Kak (3/87), struggling to contain the run flow.
Notably, Dhruv Shorey, with the century, equalled N Jagadeesan's record for the most consecutive List A centuries, registering his fifth in a row. Shorey's streak of five centuries dates back to the knockout stages of the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored tons in the quarter-final, semi-final and final. He carried that form into the current season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a 136 off 125 balls in the opening match against Bengal.
Hyderabad's chase began with intent but faltered as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Aelgani Varun Goud played a lone hand with a defiant 85 off 68 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes, while Abhirath Reddy (43) and captain Gahlaut Rahul Singh (37) made useful starts. However, the scoreboard pressure proved insurmountable as Vidarbha's bowlers, led by Harsh Dubey (3/39) and Yash Kadam (2/29), consistently broke through. Hyderabad was eventually bowled out for 276 in 49.2 overs.
In a nail-biting Madhya Pradesh (MP) vs Tamil Nadu match, MP secured a hard-fought 2-wicket victory. After electing to bat first, Tamil Nadu posted a total of 280 all out in 49.3 overs. The innings was fueled by contributions from Sai Sudharsan (51 off 53 balls) and N Jagadeesan (55 off 89 balls), while Mohamed Ali provided a middle-order push with a quick 57 off 47 balls. Kumar Kartikeya was the standout bowler for Madhya Pradesh, finishing with figures of 3/62 to restrict the Tamil Nadu tail.
The chase was a roller-coaster affair that saw Madhya Pradesh cross the finish line at 283/8 with just four balls to spare. Opening batter Himanshu Mantri played a match-winning hand, anchoring the innings with a composed 90 off 94 balls, while Yash Dubey provided vital support with a sturdy 92 off 109 balls. Despite a late collapse triggered by Govinth Ganesh (4/54), who brought Tamil Nadu back into the game with four wickets, Madhya Pradesh's lower order held their nerve. Himanshu Mantri was named Player of the Match for his decisive knock in a victory that moved Madhya Pradesh to the top of the Group A standings.
Karnataka secured a dominant eight-wicket victory over Kerala. After being put in to bat, Kerala posted a challenging total of 284/7 in their 50 overs. The innings was anchored by Baba Aparajith (71 off 62 balls) and a late explosive blitz from Mohammed Azharuddeen, who remained unbeaten on 84 off just 58 balls (including 3 fours and 4 sixes). Abhilash Shetty was the pick of the Karnataka bowlers, dismantling the top order to finish with figures of 3/59.
Karnataka reached the target of 285/2 with 10 balls to spare. Despite the early loss of captain Mayank Agarwal for just 1, Devdutt Padikkal (124 off 137 balls) and Karun Nair (130 off 130 balls) shared a massive 223-run partnership that took the game away from Kerala. Padikkal notched his second consecutive century, while Karun Nair's flawless unbeaten ton earned him the Player of the Match award.
In another match, Jharkhand secured a 73-run victory over Rajasthan. After being asked to bat first, Jharkhand posted a strong total of 301 all out in 50 overs. The centrepiece of their innings was a brilliant century by opener Shikhar Mohan (129 off 118 balls), who struck 17 boundaries and three sixes. He found steady support from Anukul Roy, who contributed a quick-fire 52 off 43 balls. Rajasthan's pace spearhead Khaleel Ahmed was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 4/49.
Rajasthan's chase struggled to find rhythm as they lost their top four for just 26 runs. However, Karan Lamba played a heroic lone hand, fighting till the very end to score a magnificent 102 off 110 balls (including seven fours and one six). Despite his maiden List-A hundred and support from Mukul Choudhary (33 off 62 balls), Rajasthan was eventually bowled out for 228 in 50 overs. The architect of Jharkhand's bowling dominance was Shubham Singh, who delivered a career-best performance of 6/50.
Andhra secured a six-wicket victory over Railways. After being asked to bat first, Railways posted a respectable 266/9 in their 50 overs. The innings was anchored by Ravi Singh (76 off 70 balls) and Ansh Yadav (59 off 91 balls), with a late flourish from Zubair Ali, who smashed 48 off 34 balls. Andhra's bowling attack was led by Satyanarayana Raju and Kalidindi Raju, who both claimed three wickets apiece to keep the target manageable.
The chase was clinical as Andhra reached the target of 271/4 in 44.4 overs. While the top order set a solid foundation through Shaik Rasheed (40 off 53 balls) and Ashwin Hebbar (30 off 42 balls), the middle order provided the decisive punch. Ricky Bhui played a standout knock of 76 off 74 balls, well-supported by captain Nitish Kumar Reddy, who remained unbeaten on 55 off 41 balls. M Hemanth Reddy provided the finishing touch with a brisk 41 off 35 balls* and was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution, having also taken two wickets earlier in the day.
Punjab cruised to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Chhattisgarh. After being put in to bat, Chhattisgarh struggled to find momentum and were eventually bundled out for 253 in 48.4 overs. Captain Amandeep Khare (76 off 89 balls) and Mayank Verma (64 off 70 balls) provided the only significant resistance, while the rest of the lineup faltered against a disciplined Punjab attack. Krish Bhagat was the pick of the bowlers, returning impressive figures of 3/33, well-supported by Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa (2/43) and Raghu Sharma (2/45).
The chase was a mere formality for Punjab's top order as they reached the target of 254/1 in just 42.1 overs. Following the early departure of Prabhsimran Singh (30 off 43 balls), opening batter Harnoor Singh and Anmolpreet Singh demoralised the Chhattisgarh bowlers with a massive unbeaten partnership. Harnoor Singh (115 off 114 balls)* played a stellar knock, featuring 12 fours and two sixes, while Anmolpreet Singh (105 off 96 balls)* matched him stroke for stroke to bring up his own century. Harnoor Singh was named Player of the Match for his match-winning ton, which helped Punjab maintain their strong start to the tournament.
Maharashtra secured a dominant eight-wicket victory over Sikkim. After electing to bowl first, Maharashtra's bowling attack, led by a fiery spell from Rajvardhan Hangargekar (4/21), dismantled the Sikkim lineup. Sikkim was eventually bundled out for 150 in 40.2 overs, with Kranthi Kumar (40 off 39 balls) and K Sai Satwik (32 off 39 balls) being the only batters to offer significant resistance. Ramakrishna Ghosh also impressed with the ball, picking up 3/22, while Vicky Ostwal chipped in with two wickets to keep the scoring under control.
The chase was a swift as Maharashtra reached the target of 153/2 in just 18 overs. Prithvi Shaw set the tone with a robust 51 off 47 balls (including eight fours and one six), sharing a solid opening stand with Arshin Kulkarni, who struck 40 off 34 balls. Following their dismissals, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad finished the game in style, smashing an unbeaten 38 off just 13 balls at a strike rate of 292.31. Rajvardhan Hangargekar was named Player of the Match for his decisive four-wicket haul that set up the comprehensive win.
Baroda clinched a four-wicket victory over Bengal with 10 overs to spare. After being invited to bat first, Bengal was bowled out for 205 in 38.3 overs. Their innings was comprised mainly of scores by Anustup Majumdar (47 off 54 balls) and Karan Lal (40 off 43 balls), while Abishek Porel contributed a brisk 38 off 35 balls. However, they struggled against a clinical Baroda attack led by young pacer Raj Limbani, who registered a superb five-wicket haul with figures of 5/65, and captain Krunal Pandya, who took 3/39.
Baroda's chase was anchored by a solid top-order performance, reaching the target of 209/6 in 38.5 overs. Shashwat Rawat led the way with a fluent 61 off 50 balls (including 11 boundaries), while captain Krunal Pandya capped off an excellent all-round day with a vital 57 off 63 balls. Priyanshu Moliya also played a steadying hand with 52 off 90 balls. Despite a disciplined effort from the Bengal bowlers, including Aamir Gani (2/33) and Shahbaz Ahmed (2/52), and a wicket for Mohammad Shami (1/42), Baroda held their nerve to secure the points. Raj Limbani was named Player of the Match for his match-defining bowling spell.