New Delhi, Dec 31 (.) As the Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage gathers momentum, the battle for knockout spots has intensified across all four groups, with several teams firmly in contention and others fighting to stay alive, alongside a string of standout individual performances shaping the tournament narrative.
Group A has emerged as one of the most competitive pools, with Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh remaining unbeaten after four matches. Jharkhand sits close behind following their impressive win over Tamil Nadu, while Kerala have kept their hopes alive with a dramatic chase against Rajasthan.
Rajasthan, however, are languishing at the bottom of the table after suffering their fourth consecutive defeat.
Karnataka’s dominance has been driven by their top order, with Devdutt Padikkal continuing his prolific run by scoring his third century in four matches. Mayank Agarwal also struck his first hundred of the season as Karnataka piled up 363 against Puducherry. Padikkal has now firmly established himself as one of the standout batsman of the tournament.
Group B has seen Uttar Pradesh establish themselves as clear frontrunners, winning all four of their matches to sit comfortably at the top. The race for the second qualification spot remains tight between Vidarbha and Bengal. Bengal significantly boosted their net run rate with a crushing win over Jammu and Kashmir, who were bowled out for just 63, their lowest-ever List A total.
Mohammed Shami led Bengal’s bowling charge once again, striking early and setting the tone for the rout, while Vidarbha’s Darshan Nalkande starred with a four-wicket haul against Chandigarh to power his side to their third win in four matches.
Group C is currently dominated by Mumbai, who have won all four of their matches and look strong contenders to qualify first from the group. Punjab and Goa are locked in a tussle for the second spot, both with three wins from four games. Despite conceding a massive 444 to Mumbai, Goa managed to stay within 100 runs, limiting the damage to their net run rate.
Mumbai’s batting firepower was on full display as Sarfaraz Khan hammered a magnificent 157 against Goa, anchoring the innings after a solid partnership with his younger brother Musheer Khan. The innings helped Mumbai post one of the highest totals in Vijay Hazare Trophy history and underlined their credentials as title contenders.
Group D is shaping up to be the most fiercely contested, with Delhi, Odisha and Haryana all in the hunt for two knockout berths. All three sides have registered three wins from four matches, setting up a tense final round of league fixtures.
Haryana’s challenge has been powered by Ankit Kumar, who struck an unbeaten 144 in a successful chase against Services, guiding his side to a comfortable victory. Earlier in the day, Krunal Pandya made a strong statement for Baroda by promoting himself to No. 3 and smashing an unbeaten 109 off just 63 balls, his third List A century, as Baroda piled up 417 for four.
In other notable matches, Kerala pulled off a thrilling chase against Rajasthan, thanks to a lower-order rescue act by Eden Apple Tom, who remained unbeaten on 40 off 18 balls, and Ankit Sharma.
Punjab cruised past Himachal Pradesh with half-centuries from Naman Dhir and Anmolpreet Singh, while Chhattisgarh thrashed Sikkim by 230 runs. Ruturaj Gaikwad also continued his fine form, scoring a composed 124 for Maharashtra to lift his side to 331 after early setbacks.
With consistent performers emerging across batting and bowling departments and the league stage nearing its conclusion, the race for knockout qualification promises high drama across all groups.
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