Karnataka beat Saurashtra to lift Vijay Hazare Trophy for a third time

BENGALURU: There seems to be something special about Karnataka and Vijay Hazare Trophy finals. Three out of three! The state has never lost in the title decider of the List A competition. The trend continued on Tuesday, with Karun Nair’s side beating Saurashtra in Delhi by 41 runs.

Mayank Agarwal’s stroke-filled 90 off just 79 balls guided Karnataka to 253. In reply, Saurashtra were bowled out for 212, with off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham and young pacer Prasidh Krishna both taking three-wicket hauls. Cheteshwar Pujara was the lone pillar of resistance hitting 94 off 127 balls.

The win showcased Karnataka’s dominance as an elite List A unit and comes at an important time, especially after their Ranji semifinals loss to Vidarbha. Another loss here would have meant a season without silverware, which would not have been fair on the team, especially Mayank.

The 27-year-old has been the star of Karnataka’s victorious run. The opener, who seems to be batting with a magic wand, has been in ridiculous form this season with 2,141 runs, including 723 in this competition. He also became the highest run-scorer in an Indian domestic season. Besides his 28 against Punjab, his lowest score has been 81 in the semifinals, which explains the touch he is in.

“I am really happy that we have won a trophy after three years, and it really feels nice when you can make a good contribution towards the team’s title win as well,” Mayank told Express.

An ecstatic Mayank wants to dedicate this win for Sreenath Aravind, who has hung up his boots. “Everyone was really motivated. We were looking forward to the final. We had a heartbreak in the semis (Ranji Trophy) and we were eager to win this. Also, we want to dedicate this win to (Sreenath) Aravind and we are happy that we could so something special for him as well.”

The Vijay Hazare title is special for a team in transition, especially on the bowling front. The youngsters coming through are shouldering responsibility. With Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and Aravind not featuring regularly in this competition, the onus fell on Prasidh Krishna and other pacers.

The 22-year-old pacer had an incredible competition, taking 17 wickets. It was not just about sending players back to the pavilion, but also the way he bowled in crunch situations. He showed signs of maturity and it can only augur well for the state. With Aravind’s retirement, they have a ready-made replacement in Prasidh. “My teammates have been very supportive and it has helped me a lot, leading to a good performance in the competition as well,” Prasidh said.

“This trophy was important for us. As a team, we have been doing well. Everyone has been performing when required. After the disappointment in other competitions, this win tells us that we have a talented team capable of winning big events.”

With Deodhar trophy starting on March 4, Karnataka have a chance to make this season sweeter. Is another trophy possible?

ashim.sunam@newindianexpress.com