Vidarbha booked their place in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) semi-finals with a commanding 76-run victory over Delhi at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru on Tuesday (January 13). Despite a fighting half-century from Gujarat Titans’ Rs 30 lakh recruit Anuj Rawat, Delhi failed to mount a serious chase after being set a stiff 301-run target.
Rathod, Taide set the platform for Vidarbha
After Delhi won the toss and opted to bowl, Vidarbha’s top order laid the foundation for a competitive total. Yash Rathod led the charge with a fluent 86 off 73 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes at a brisk strike rate of 117.81. Rathod kept the scoreboard ticking through the middle overs, punishing loose deliveries and rotating strike effectively.
Earlier opener Atharva Taide compiled a composed 62 off 72 balls. Taide’s knock, laced with eight boundaries, ensured Vidarbha got off to a steady start before accelerating later in the innings. Contributions from the middle order helped Vidarbha reach 300 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs.
For Delhi, the bowling effort was shared, with captain Ishant Sharma picking up two wickets. Navdeep Saini and Nitish Rana also claimed two scalps apiece, but Vidarbha’s batters ensured the run rate never dipped significantly.
Rawat fights lone battle as Vidarbha bowlers dominate
In reply, Delhi’s chase never quite gathered momentum. Anuj Rawat, recently snapped up by Gujarat Titans for Rs 30 lakh, top-scored with a measured 66 off 98 deliveries. His innings, which included seven boundaries, was more about consolidation than aggression, as wickets fell regularly at the other end.
Nitish Rana, meanwhile, who was traded to Delhi Capitals for his existing fee of Rs 4.2 crore, fell for a golden duck.
Vaibhav Kandpal and Priyansh Arya chipped in with 28 runs each, but no Delhi batter managed to cross the 50-run mark. The lack of partnerships hurt Delhi, who were eventually bowled out well short of the target.
Vidarbha’s bowlers kept a tight grip on proceedings, led by Nachiket Bhute, who returned impressive figures with four wickets, including the wicket of Rana. Harsh Dubey and Praful Hinge provided excellent support, picking up three and two wickets respectively, to seal a comprehensive win and propel Vidarbha into the semi-finals.
Semi-final fixtures confirmed
While Vidarbha will take on Karnataka in the first VHT semi-final, Saurashtra will meet Punjab. Both the semi-finals will be staged in Bengaluru on February 16 (Friday). Punjab beat Madhya Pradesh by 183 runs in their quarter-final clash, with Uttar Pradesh defeating Saurashtra. Mumbai lost to Karnataka in their quarter-final faceoff.