[WATCH]- Abhilash Shetty Seals Karnataka’s 5th Vijay Hazare Trophy

Karnataka pacer Abhilash Shetty dismissed Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey to secure victory for his team in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy final on Saturday, January 18, at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

The decisive moment came in the 49th over when Abhilash bowled a length ball outside off. Harsh attempted to clear the boundary but mistimed his shot, sending the ball high into the air. Praveen Dubey safely caught it at deep mid-wicket, sealing Karnataka’s win.

Despite Harsh Dubey’s valiant knock of 63 off 30 balls, featuring five fours and five sixes, Vidarbha fell short by 36 runs, handing Karnataka their fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title. You can watch the video here:

https://x.com/bccidomestic/status/1880646957737329087?s=46

Chasing a target of 349, Vidarbha’s Yash Rathod (22), skipper Karun Nair (27), and Yash Kadam (15) failed to capitalize on their starts. Dhruv Shorey anchored the innings with a brilliant 110 off 111 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, building a 62-run partnership with Jitesh Sharma (34) for the fourth wicket.

Despite Harsh Dubey’s late heroics, Vidarbha fell short. Karnataka’s bowlers, led by Vasuki Koushik, Prasidh Krishna, and Abhilash Shetty, who claimed three wickets each, ensured a comprehensive win for their team.

Karnataka’s All-Round Performance Sets Up Competitive Total

Vidarbha opted to bowl after winning the toss, and Yash Thakur made an early impact by dismissing Devdutt Padikkal for eight. Karnataka faced further setbacks as skipper Mayank Agarwal (32) and Aneesh KV (21) departed in quick succession, reducing them to 67/3.

However, Smaran Ravichandran and Krishnan Shrijith steadied the innings with a superb 160-run stand off 137 balls for the fourth wicket. Smaran smashed 101 off 92 deliveries, while Krishnan added a valuable 78 off 74.

The innings gained further momentum when Abhinav Manohar unleashed a powerful knock, scoring 79 off just 42 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes. Karnataka ended with an imposing total of 348/6 in their 50 overs.

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