Karun Nair became the third Indian to hit four consecutive List A centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. (Instagram)
The semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy begin are scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Thursday followed by the final on Saturday. Like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, this has been a high-scoring tournament which has also seen players shatter records. As the tournament enters the business end, here is a look at the players to watch out for from the two semifinals.
Haryana vs Karnataka
Nishant Sindhu: The 20-year-old has already made his mark with his all-round capabilities in the last two matches for the defending champions. Apart from churning out noted contributions with the bat, Sindhu who bowls left-arm orthodox has also been one of Haryana’s lead bowlers. Thanks to his all-round capabilities he is a player being seen with interest by the selectors.
Anshul Kamboj in action for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. (Instagram)
Anshul Kamboj: One of the promising seamers emerging out of the domestic circuit, Anshul is a workhorse with ball in hand. Kamboj is capable of moving the ball both ways and hence is lethal with the new ball in hand. Against an in form Karnataka batting line-up, his battle with their top-order could well decide the outcome. He is also a very handy batsman lower down the order.
Mayank Agarwal: He has been leading the side from the front with his incredible form. So far in the tournament, Agarwal has scored four centuries against Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Hyderabad and Nagaland. Though a return to the national fold remains far fetched at this stage of his career, Agarwal knows a strong finish to the tournament could get him a break in the IPL after going unsold at the auctions.
Vidarbha vs Maharashtra
Karun Nair: At this stage, it is impossible to look beyond Karun Nair, who has been captaining Vidarbha. Coming into the semifinals he has already set the stage on fire with five centuries, including four on the bounce. With performances in the knockouts tend to weigh extra if Karun can make the most out of his form in the semifinals, his name will definitely be discussed in future selection meetings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: After scoring an unbeaten 148 against Services in the group stage, Gaikwad’s form has nose-dived. Since then he has scores of 8, 12, 13 and 5 which really doesn’t do justice to his talent. But the 50-over format remains one of Gaikwad’s strong suits and if he comes up with a notable performance, his name could feature in discussion for a slot in the Champions Trophy and beyond.
Mukesh Choudhary: The left-arm seamer after struggling with injuries in the last two couple of seasons, has found his rhythm back. After an impressive show in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he was amongst the leading wicket-takers, Choudhary has carried on the form into Vijay Hazare Trophy. A skilful operater with the new ball, he will be tested by Vidarbha’s in-form top-order in the derby.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
