Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-finals: Key players to watch out for
What's the story
The 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy is nearing its climax, with four teams battling it out for a spot in the final.
Haryana will take on Karnataka in the first semi-final on January 15, while Vidarbha and Maharashtra will battle it out in the second semi-final on January 16.
All four teams have played brilliant cricket this season.
Here we look at the players to watch out for in the VHT semis.
#1
Karun Nair - Vidarbha
Veteran batter Karun Nair has been among massive runs for Vidarbha in the ongoing season.
He has returned with five centuries across six innings and would be raring to enhace his tally.
With 664 runs, Nair is the leading run-getter in the ongoing season as he has been dismissed just once.
It also must be noted that Nair has scored these runs at a strike rate of 120.07.
#2
Mayank Agarwal - Karnataka
Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal is the only other batter to have managed over 500 runs in the season so far.
The veteran opener has so far managed 619 runs at a tremendous average of 123.80. He has managed four tons and a half-century across eight innings.
His strike rate of 109.75 displays his aggressive intent throughout the season.
#3
Nishant Sindhu - Haryana
Nishant Sindhu of Haryana has been at his all-round best this season. With the bat, he has managed a total of 313 runs.
The average of 52.16 highlights his consistency as he has hammered a couple of fifties as well.
With his left-arm spin, Sindhu has also managed to claim 12 wickets at a fine economy rate of 4.98.
#4
Anshul Kamboj - Haryana
In Anshul Kamboj, we have another Haryana star on this list.
He is the leading wicket-taker of the team with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 4.54.
This includes a couple of four-wicket hauls as well. It must be noted that Kamboj has been on a roll in this domestic season.
His stellar performances even earned him an Indian Premier League contract with Chennai Super Kings.
#5
Siddhesh Veer - Maharashtra
Siddhesh Veer is the leading run-scorer for Maharashtra with 490 runs as he has scored these runs at a stellar average of 98.
He has breached the 50-run mark four times across eight innings as this includes a couple of tons as well.
Veer has also delivered with his part-time bowling, having claimed five wickets in the season.
Team performances
Journey to the semi-finals: A look at each team's performance
Haryana booked their semi-final berth by finishing second in Group A and defeating Bengal and Gujarat in the preliminary quarter-final and quarter-final, respectively.
Karnataka topped Group C before defeating Baroda in the quarter-final.
Maharashtra topped Group B and edged past Punjab in the quarter-final, while Vidarbha dominated Group D by winning all their six games before defeating Rajasthan in the quarter-final.