BENGALURU: During the league stage of the
Vijay Hazare Trophy, the spotlight was largely on superstars turning out for their respective state teams ahead of the New Zealand series and a slew of big hundreds across sides. With the stars now back on national duty, attention shifts to the domestic regulars as the tournament moves into the knockout phase.
The quarterfinals get underway at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday, with the marquee clash featuring heavyweights Mumbai and defending champions Karnataka. The other quarterfinal will see Saurashtra take on Uttar Pradesh.
Given the indifferent bowling performances of both Mumbai and Group A toppers Karnataka through the league phase, the batting lineups will be the cynosure. Karnataka boast of a formidable top-order, led by the red-hot Devdutt Padikkal and in-form skipper Mayank Agarwal at the top. While Padikkal is the tournament’s leading run-getter with 640 runs and Mayank chipped in with 399, the onus will be on the rest of the batting unit to step up.
R Smaran, Karun Nair and KL Shrijith — all proven performers — blew hot and cold so far, while the team management will be seeking greater consistency from the big-hitting Abhinav Manohar.
Mumbai face a significant reshuffle. Stand-in skipper Shreyas Iyer,
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav are unavailable owing to national commitments, while regular captain Shardul Thakur is sidelined with injury. Siddesh Lad will lead the side, and the experienced campaigner will have to marshal his resources astutely.
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Manuja Veerappa, Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, h...
Read MoreManuja Veerappa, Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, has dedicated over half of her 22-year journalism career to the publication. Specializing in
cricket and hockey, she has covered major sporting events including World Cups, the Commonwealth Games, and world championships in billiards and snooker.
Known for her compelling human-interest stories, she has traveled extensively across Karnataka to spotlight untold talent and their journeys. An internationally
published sportswriter and former national-level hockey player for Karnataka, Manuja is a true-blue Bengalurean who also writes on the city’s culture and life, blending deep reporting with a passion for storytelling.
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