Vijay Hazare Trophy league Roundup: Impressive show by Challengers

Batting pyrotechnics followed by some spell-binding bowling performances, the recently concluded league stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy had it all. Our new acquisitions displayed glimpses of their talent while the other familiar faces continued to exhibit their craft. 

As the focus now shifts to Delhi for the knockout stage, let us look at the top four Challengers who fared well in the league stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021. 

Devdutt Padikkal 

Innings: 5 | Runs - 572 | Avg: 190.66

Karnataka's latest batting sensation set several solid platforms for Karnataka, accumulating 572 runs in just 5 innings. His astronomical average of 190.66 just demonstrates how consistent he has been throughout the competition. During the last league tie against Railways, the 20-year-old entered the record books, notching up his third consecutive century of the tournament.  He now holds the record for the most number of consecutive centuries [3] by a Karnataka batsman in national one-dayers. Devdutt Padikkal, who was instrumental in leading Karnataka to a podium finish in the last edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, will once again be crucial to the team's prospects of defending the crown.

Rajat Patidar

Innings: 5 | Runs: 219 | Avg: 43.80 

Belligerent, crafty, and level-headed are the terms that define Rajat Patidar. During his decisive innings of 102 against Andhra, Rajat Patidar provided a glimpse of his batting prowess. His compact water-tight batting technique is pleasing to the eyes. There is something delightfully obscure about these types of batsmen. Although Madhya Pradesh didn't make it to the quarterfinals, the elegant batsman just showed what he is capable of, piling 219 runs at a strike rate of 108.45 in just 5 innings. 

Sachin Baby

Innings: 4 | Runs: 171 | Avg: 42.75

Batting at the most challenging position, the seasoned campaigner has repeatedly bailed his team out of the trouble. The southpaw's valuable contributions at No.5 helped Kerala qualify for the knockout stages. He has thus far scored 171 runs in 4 innings which also includes two half-centuries. He has batted at various positions in his 12-year-old domestic career. That, in itself, tells a lot about how adaptable he is as a batsman. The skipper will undoubtedly be key to Kerala doing well in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Shahbaz Ahmed 

Innings: 5 | Wickets: 8 | ER: 4.97 | Runs: 163 | 

Arguably one of the most promising all-rounders in Indian domestic circles currently, the 25-year-old made the cricketing fraternity stand up and take notice of his ability to wield the long handle to good effect. An ability that was unknown to many. In addition to this, Shahbaz Ahmed bowled with guile, snaring 8 wickets in 5 innings. However, it was his economy rate of 4.97 that stood out among all his stats. This just tells how he strangled the batsmen with tight and nagging lengths.