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Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday congratulated the Karnataka State Cricket Team for clinching the 2025 edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy by defeating Vidarbha in the final.
Smaran Ravichandran's century powered Team Karnataka to a 36-run victory over Vidarbha in the final, held on Saturday at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. "It is a matter of happiness that the Karnataka State Cricket Team beat the Vidarbha team by 36 runs in the final round match held at the Vadodara Stadium in Gujarat on Saturday. The Karnataka team clinched the title with a coordinated performance in both batting and bowling. I would like to congratulate all the players and the coaching staff including the captain Mayank Agarwal for their impressive performance in the tournament," DK Shivakumar expressed happiness as quoted by the Karnataka CMO press release. Recap of the final: Vidarbha won the toss and chose to bowl first. However, their decision did not work to their advantage in the first innings. Openers Mayank Agarwal (32 runs from 38 balls, 5 fours) and Devdutt Padikkal (8 runs from 19 balls, 1 four) failed to provide a strong start, managing only a 23-run partnership. The credit for Karnataka's success goes to their middle order, which propelled them to a commanding 348/6 in the first innings. Smaran Ravichandran (101 runs from 92 balls, 7 fours, and 3 sixes), Krishnan Shrijith (78 runs from 74 balls, 9 fours, and 1 six), and Abhinav Manohar (79 runs from 42 balls, 10 fours, and 10 sixes) were the standout performers. Vidarbha's bowlers struggled in the first innings, failing to make early breakthroughs. Darshan Nalkande and Nachiket Bhute picked up two wickets each, while Yash Thakur and Yash Kadam claimed one wicket apiece. In the run chase, opener Dhruv Shorey shone with a remarkable knock of 110 runs from 111 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes. However, he lacked support from other batters. Vidarbha skipper Karun Nair could only manage 27 runs from 31 balls at a strike rate of 87.10. Harsh Dubey played a valiant knock of 63 runs from 30 balls, including 5 fours and 5 sixes, but Vidarbha fell short by 36 runs. Karnataka's bowlers played a crucial role, with Vasuki Koushik, Prasidh Krishna, and Abhilash Shetty each claiming three wickets to dismiss Vidarbha for 312 runs. Smaran Ravichandran was named the 'Player of the Match' for his century in the final. Meanwhile, Vidarbha skipper Karun Nair was awarded the 'Player of the Series.' (ANI)
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