Vijay Hazare Trophy: Unfancied Smaran's ton overshadows Shorey's effort as Karnataka win fifth title
Vadodara: Dhruv Shorey's third consecutive hundred went in vain as Karnataka rode on unfancied Smaran Ravichandran's stylish ton to win their fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title, defeating Vidarbha by 36 runs in a high-scoring final here on Saturday.
Karnataka has an unprecedented record of reaching five finals and winning all of them.
Left-handed Smaran smashed 101 off just 92 deliveries, while the unheralded keeper-batter Krishnan Srijith chipped in with a plucky 78 off 74 balls. T20 star Abhinav Manohar provided the final flourish with a blistering 79 off 42 deliveries, propelling the Karnataka to a commanding total of 348 for 6 in 50 overs
In reply, Vidarbha, which had reached the final without losing a single game in the group stage, paid the price for most of their batters outside the top three failing to get significant time at the crease.
However, all-rounder Harsh Dubey's explosive 63 off 30 balls, which included five sixes and as many fours, gave the winners a scare before Vidarbha were all out for 312 in 48.2 overs.
Shorey, who scored a century in both the quarter and semi-final, looked classy en route his 110 but there was no support at the end once 'Player of the Tournament' Karun Nair (27) had a rare failure as he got a sharp off-cutter from Prasidh Krishna which also seemed to keep a tad low knocking the off-stump back.
Karun, whose name came up for discussion during Indian team's selection meeting in Mumbai, finished the tournament with 779 runs and a whopping average of 389.5.
At the other end, Shorey, a former Delhi opener, looked regal as he drove and played some great horizontal bat shots on the flattest of surfaces. He added 56 with Nair and another 62 with the seasoned Jitesh Sharma (34) but the boundaries dried up during the middle overs.
Much of the credit should go to military medium pace bowler Vasuki Koushik (3/47 in 10 overs), who did well to bowl within his limitations, pitching it up and keeping everything in line of stumps. He hardly gave away loose deliveries and all those batters, who didn't have much game time unlike Shorey, Nair and Yash Rathod, struggled to keep up the momentum.
The other Karnataka bowlers, including Prasidh (3/84 in 10 overs) and left-arm Abhilash Shetty (3/58 in 9.2 overs), bowled numerous short deliveries, which Shorey easily dispatched by rocking back. He struck eight fours and two sixes, with the second six off Prasidh, hit down the ground, bringing up his hundred.
Once Shetty got him holed trying to pull, it was curtains for Vidarbha even as Dubey used the long handle to good effect towards the end.
Earlier, left-handed Smaran did well with his strong off-side play but it was Manohar, whose lusty hits including four sixes, took Karnataka to a match-winning total close to 350.
Smaran-Srijith added 140 off 122 balls and another century plus stand with Manohar where the latter was the dominant partner.
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Gill leads Gujarat Titans to 5-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders
Ahmedabad (PTI): Shubman Gill led from the front with a classy 86 as Gujarat Titans defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets in an Indian Premier League match here on Friday.
Earlier, KKR all-rounder Cameron Green produced a fighting 79 off 55 balls to lift his side to 180 all out. In reply, Gill anchored the chase with a composed 86 off 50 deliveries as GT crossed the line in 19.4 overs.
The win marked GT's third successive victory after opening with two losses, while KKR's search for their first win of the season continues.
Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 180 all out in 20 overs (Cameron Green 79; Kagiso Rabada 3/29, Mohammed Siraj 2/23).
Gujarat Titans: 181 for 5 in 19.4 overs (Shubman Gill 86; Varun Chakravarthy 2/34).
