Vijay Hazare Trophy: Hardik, Axar, Padikkal score tons; Arshdeep, Harshit impress with ball in first innings

New Delhi [India], January 3 (ANI): Axar Patel's century for Gujarat, Arshdeep Singh's match-winning five-wicket haul for Punjab, Harshit Rana's four-wicket haul for Delhi, another century off Devdutt Padikkal's bat were among the highlights of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) Elite 2025-26 matches on Saturday. Hardik Pandya also scored a ton for Baroda.
In the Gujarat vs Andhra match of the VHT, Gujarat posted a formidable total of 318/9 in their 50 overs after being asked to bat first by Andhra. The innings was defined by a historic performance from Axar Patel, who anchored the side with a sensational 130 off 111 balls. This landmark knock marked Axar's first-ever List A century, featuring 11 boundaries and five sixes.
While the Andhra bowlers struggled to contain Axar's onslaught, they managed to pick up regular wickets at the other end to prevent the score from crossing the 350-mark, with Satyanarayana Raju picking up four wickets.
Punjab delivered a clinical performance to dismantle Sikkim, winning the match by 10 wickets. After electing to field first, Punjab's bowling attack, spearheaded by a lethal Arshdeep Singh, completely overwhelmed the Sikkim lineup. Arshdeep was the destructor-in-chief, claiming a brilliant five-wicket haul (5/34) to help bundle out Sikkim for just 75 runs in 22.2 overs. His spell ensured that no Sikkim batter could settle, with only three players reaching double figures.
Punjab's chase was a mere formality as they raced to the target in just 6.2 overs. Prabhsimran Singh led the charge with a blistering, unbeaten half-century, smashing 53* off only 26 deliveries.
In the Maharashtra vs Mumbai clash, Maharashtra produced a batting masterclass to post a mammoth 366/4 in their 50 overs against Mumbai. The foundation was laid by a solid opening stand featuring Prithvi Shaw, who struck a fluent 71 off 75 balls (10 fours, 1 six), before Arshin Kulkarni took centre stage with a magnificent 114 off 114 balls.
The momentum was further helped by Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who contributed a brisk 66 off 52 deliveries, ensuring the run rate remained high. However, the knockout blow came from Ramakrishna Ghosh, who played a blistering cameo of 64 off just 27 balls*. Ghosh's explosive finish, which included five sixes at a strike rate of over 237, propelled Maharashtra past the 350-mark.
In another VHT match, Delhi's bowling unit produced a clinical performance to dismiss Services for 178 in 42.5 overs. The standout performer was Harshit Rana, who spearheaded the attack with a brilliant spell of 4/47 in his 10 overs. Rana struck early to remove opener Sagar Dahiya and returned to break key middle-order stands, never allowing Services to build any significant momentum.
Support for Rana came from Prince Yadav, who chipped in with three wickets to dent the Services' batting order further.
In the Hyderabad vs Chandigarh VHT clash, Hyderabad overcame a shaky start to post a competitive 286/9 in 50 overs. The innings was anchored by a captain's knock from Tilak Varma, who scored a brilliant 109 off 118 balls. His century, which included six boundaries and three sixes, provided the stability Hyderabad desperately needed after losing their openers early.
Tilak found a reliable partner in Abhirath Reddy, who contributed a vital 71 to a 114-run third-wicket partnership that shifted the momentum back to Hyderabad. Despite a late flurry of wickets from Chandigarh's bowlers, Tilak's calculated aggression ensured that the scoring rate never dropped.
In the Baroda vs Vidarbha VHT match, Baroda staged a remarkable recovery to post 293/9 in 50 overs after a disastrous start. Vidarbha's bowlers dominated the early proceedings, leaving Baroda reeling at 71/5 as Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute tore through the top order. However, the game shifted dramatically when Baroda's Hardik Pandya unleashed a batting masterclass to record his maiden List A century. Hardik smashed a breathtaking 133 off just 92 balls, a knock that featured eight boundaries and 11 sixes.
Hardik found some support from his brother, Krunal Pandya (23), and Vishnu Solanki (26). Still, he largely played a lone hand in dragging Baroda from a position of collapse to a competitive total, despite Yash Thakur's impressive figures of 4/64.
Jharkhand recovered from an early top-order collapse to post a formidable 311/7 in 50 overs. Despite losing both openers and Virat Singh cheaply to leave the side struggling at 65/3, Kumar Kushagra played a sensational innings to anchor the recovery. Kushagra remained unbeaten on 143 off 137 balls, a masterclass of pacing that included eight boundaries and seven sixes. He found an ideal partner in Anukul Roy, who played a fluent knock of 72 off 72 deliveries, including four fours and three sixes, as the pair combined for a vital 176-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Tamil Nadu's bowling attack produced a disciplined performance to bowl out Rajasthan for 225 in 46.5 overs. After choosing to field first, Tamil Nadu found their hero in Varun Chakravarthy, who stifled the Rajasthan middle and lower order with a brilliant spell of 4/25 in his 10 overs.
Rajasthan's innings saw several players getting off to promising starts--most notably Aditya Rathore at the top--but they lacked the big individual score needed to challenge a strong Tamil Nadu side. Despite some late resistance that pushed the total past 200, Chakravarthy's four-wicket haul kept the target well within a manageable range for the Tamil Nadu openers.
In the Karnataka vs Tripura VHT match, Karnataka produced a powerhouse batting display to reach 332/7 in their 50 overs. Despite an early scare that saw Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair dismissed with just six runs on the board, Devdutt Padikkal continued his incredible purple patch. Padikkal's composed 108 off 120 balls (eight fours, three sixes) anchored the innings and moved him past the 500-run mark for the tournament. He was well-supported by Ravichandran Smaran, who struck a steady 60, and KL Rahul, who made an impact on his return to the side with a brisk 35 off 28 balls.
The final flourish was provided by Abhinav Manohar, who remained unbeaten on 79 off just 43 deliveries, a knock featuring six fours and four sixes that propelled Karnataka well beyond the 300-run mark.
In the Bengal vs Assam match, Abhimanyu Easwaran scored a composed 102 off 116 balls to guide his team to 302/7 in 50 overs. He was aptly supported by the middle-order and Shahbaz Ahmed (66 runs off 57 balls). Assam bowlers Akash Sengupta, Avinov Choudhury and Rahul Singh each took two wickets but could not stop Bengal from breaching the 300-mark. (ANI)