Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023: Captain Deepak Hooda’s colossal 180 takes Rajasthan to ultimate

Skipper Deepak Hooda’s (180, 128b, 19×4, 5×6) hearth and Karan Lamba’s (73 n.o., 112b, 7×4) ice mixed to snuff out Karnataka’s problem as Rajasthan booked its first Vijay Hazare Trophy ultimate berth since 2006-07 with a six-wicket win on the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium right here on Thursday. 

Reduced to 23 for 3 whereas chasing 283, Hooda and Lamba’s 255-run partnership ensured the margin of victory belied Rajasthan’s preliminary struggles. 

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Hooda used his ft with experience, stepping out and getting in line of the ball by shuffling throughout to throw the bowlers off their lengths. 

After attending to a 54-ball fifty by pulling J. Suchith’s lengthy hop for a six, Hooda launched Okay. Gowtham for a six over long-on after which reduce by means of covers off the backfoot for a 4 in the identical over. 

Hooda’s hundred got here off 85 balls in an over the place he toyed with Manoj Bhandage, shuffling throughout to flick one off his pads earlier than giving the medium pacer the cost to show size ball right into a half-volley. 

Lamba, in the meantime, rotated the strike and didn’t chorus from slashing when provided room outdoors off. 

Rajasthan’s Captain Deepak Hooda and Karan Lamba working between the wicket in throughout Vijay Hazare Trophy Semi Final 2 between Karnataka and Rajasthan in Rajkot, Gujarat on Thursday
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji/ The Hindu

Hooda struck a discordant observe when he pulled a brief one from Gowtham into the fingers of deep square-leg with Rajasthan 5 runs adrift of victory, however Karnataka’s destiny was sealed by then. 

Earlier, after workhorses R. Samarth and Mayank Agarwal didn’t hearth, Abhinav Manohar (91, 80b, 10×4, 3×6) and Bhandage (63, 39b, 3×4, 5×6) spared the four-time champion the blushes with a 95-run partnership off 68 balls. 

Manohar didn’t curb his pure instincts regardless of Karnataka stuttering at 87 for 4. He struck with vehemence and the sound of bat on ball resonated throughout the empty stands just like the knell for Rajasthan. 

He was significantly extreme on Khaleel Ahmed and Rahul Chahar, who missed their lengths after bowling tight opening spells. 

Manohar was the aggressor in an 89-run alliance with Manish Pandey for the fifth wicket that marked a shift in momentum. However, the tide turned in Karnataka’s favour when Bhandage joined Manohar. 

The stocky left-hander made an impression off the second ball he confronted – slog sweeping Kukna Ajay Singh for a six. He picked the lengths early, pulling the brief stuff from each spinners and pacers in entrance of sq. and down the bottom. 

Bhandage bought to his fifty off simply 30 balls and eclipsed Manohar, who managed solely 25 off 26 balls within the final 10 overs, which proved pricey finally.