Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23: Take a look at the finalists
Saurashtra will cross swords with a belligerent-looking Maharashtra in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23 season. Saurashtra trounced four-time winners Karnataka by five wickets in the first semi-final. Veteran Jaydev Unadkat shone with a four-fer (4/26). Meanwhile, Maharashtra prevailed by 12 runs against Assam in the second semi-final. The finale will take place in Ahmedabad on December 2. We decode the finalists.
Saurashtra's journey in the VHT 2022-23
With five wins and two losses, Saurashtra concluded atop the Elite Group A table. Their last defeat was against Uttar Pradesh in their final group-stage fixture. Saurashtra returned to winning ways with a 44-run triumph over Tamil Nadu in the quarter-finals. The Unadkat-captained side then beat Karnataka, chasing down a 172-run target thanks to their middle-order batters. Jay Gohil (61) was their top run-getter.
Plenty of firepower in Saurashtra's line-up
Despite a duck in the semi-final, wicket-keeper batter Harvik Desai is their second-highest run-getter in the tournament. He has clubbed 390 runs at 43.33. Middle-order batter Samarth Vyas tops their scoring charts, with 431 runs at 47.88 (100s: 1, 50s: 1). Arpit Vasavada has been promising as well (286 runs at 95.33). Left-armer Unadkat is the tournament's joint-highest wicket-taker (18 scalps at 15.61).
Maharashtra's run in VHT 2022-23 so far
Maharashtra (W6) finished on top of the heap in the Elite group E table. They beat UP by 58 runs in the quarter-finals before handing an agonizing 12-run beating to Assam in the semi-finals. Ankit Bawne (571 runs at 95.16) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (552 runs at 276.00) carry the scoring onus. Right-armer Rajvardhan Hangargekar (15 wickets at 20.26) has troubled the batters all throughout.
Gaikwad slammed 7 sixes in an over against UP
History was scripted in the quarter-final clash as Gaikwad smashed spinner Shiva Singh for seven sixes in an over (49th). The latter bowled one no-ball in that over. Gaikwad also smashed 16 sixes in that contest, most for a batter in a VHT match.
