VHT 2023: Chahar, Bista among others shine in third round
The third-round matches of the 2023 Vijay Hazare Trophy saw some exciting tussles between bat and bowl. There were some noteworthy performances across groups. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Mumbai registered big wins. Rahul Chahar, Urvil Patel, and Jay Bista were the star performers from the day who guided their teams to resounding wins. Here is the summary.
Urvil slams second-fastest List A century by an Indian
Gujarat registered an eight-wicket win over Arunachal Pradesh courtesy of Urvil Patel's 41-ball 100*. They chased down 160 in only 13 overs. It is the second-fastest List A century by an Indian. Yusuf Pathan holds the record for the fastest List A century among Indians when he achieved the feat in 40 deliveries in the 2009-10 season. Urvil hammered nine fours and seven sixes.
Bista hammers career-best List A score against Railways
Mumbai opener Jay Bista smashed a brilliant 144* against Railways, which saw his team post a total of 324/5 in their 50 overs. This is his second List A century and career-best score in this format. He has compiled 1,221 runs in 28 List-A games at an average in excess of 42. He guided Mumbai to a 26-run win eventually.
Maiden List A ton for Delhi's Ayush Badoni
Ayush Badoni was Delhi's only saving grace against Karnataka as he slammed his maiden List A century. Despite his 100 off 106 balls, Delhi were bowled out for 143. This was his second fifty-plus score as he has compiled 256 runs in eight List A games. But eventually, Karnataka chased the target down in 27.3 overs and won by six wickets.
Upendra Yadav smashes second List A century
Railways captain Upendra Yadav played a valiant knock of 102 from 70 balls against Mumbai. This was his second List A century. He has amassed 1,141 runs from 37 matches at an average in excess of 38. However, it was not enough as Railways could only manage 298/9 from their 50 overs. They fell short by 26 runs.
Sandeep Warrier claims 4/23 in Tamil Nadu's victory over Bengal
Sandeep Warrier rampaged through the Bengal batting line-up as he finished with 4/23 from his seven overs. It resulted in Bengal getting bundled out for only 84 in 23.4 overs. The veteran bowler has scalped 91 wickets in 71 List A matches at 30.37. This was his third four-fer in this format. Eventually, Tamil Nadu won by five wickets.
Rahul Chahar's match-winning figures of 5/41 against Uttar Pradesh
It was a tight game between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, but Chahar's brilliant spin bowling saw his team walk home with a comfortable 60-run victory. Chahar claimed 5/41 from his 8.5 overs while defending only 211 runs. This was his fourth fifer in List A cricket while amassing 90 scalps in 50 matches at an average of 23.48
Here are the other star performers
Rohit Rayudu's 102 went in vain as Hyderabad lost to Chhattisgarh by six wickets. They chased down 272 with ease. Vishnu Vinod's 85-ball 120 led Kerala to a 78-run win over Odisha. His century helped them post a decent total of 286/9 before they bundled out Odisha for 208. Siddarth Kaul's 4/41 against Madhya Pradesh came in a losing cause for Punjab.
