Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Karnataka admitted to Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 title with a convincing 36-run win Vidarbha in a high-scoring final at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. Batting first, Karnataka posted a mammoth 348/6, thanks to Ravichandran SmaranA commanding 101 off 92 balls and quick-fire contributions from Abhinav Manohar (79 of 42) and Krishnan Shrijith (78 of 74).
Despite a gutsy 110 off 111 balls in the Vidarbha opener Dhruv Shorey and Great DubeyAn explosive 63 off 30 balls in the late stages, Vidarbha fell short, being bowled out for 312 in 48.2 overs. in Karnataka Vasuki Koushik, Prasidh Krishna and Abhilash Shetty shared three wickets each, ensuring their team got the silverware. Smaran was awarded Player of the Match for his decisive century, while Vidarbha skipper Karun Nairwith a tournament-leading 779 runs, was named Player of the Series.
Karnataka’s stellar batting in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 final
Karnataka’s innings was a masterclass in building a high total under the pressure of a final. After a shaky start where they lost Devdutt Padikkal and KV Aneesh cheap, Smaran anchored the innings with a magnificent 101 off 92 balls, mixing aggression and control. His partnership with Shrijith (160-run stand) and later with Manohar was crucial. Shrijith’s steady 78 off 74 balls laid a solid base, but Manohar’s stunning 79 off 42 balls, studded with 10 fours and 4 sixes, pushed Karnataka past 340. The their innings saw several milestones, with Smaran and Shrijith reaching fifties in quick succession before Smaran completed a century. Vidarbha’s bowlers, despite taking six wickets, struggled for consistency as Nachiket Bhute and Darshan Nalkande expensive, conceding 67 and 68 runs respectively.
Vidarbha’s fight led by Dhruv Shorey and Harsh Dubey
Vidarbha’s chase started promisingly, thanks to a beautiful knock by Shorey. In the opening innings, Shorey showed his class with a fluent 110 off 111 balls, combining textbook strokes with intelligent strike rotation. However, he lacked enough support from the middle order. Captain Nair and Yash Rathod made short contributions, but regular wickets derailed the chase. The later surge came from Dubey, who smashed 63 off just 30 balls, keeping Vidarbha’s hopes alive with powerful sixes and boundaries. Despite their valiant efforts, Vidarbha’s innings crumbled under pressure, with three wickets falling within 10 runs towards the end. Karnataka’s bowlers, especially Koushik and Shetty, ensured there was no miracle by maintaining a tight line in the death overs.
READ ALSO: Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar break silence on BCCI’s 10-point guidelines; reveal the true mandate of the ultimatum
Karnataka’s bowling brilliance is under pressure
Defending 349, the Karnataka bowlers showed resilience and tactical awareness on a batting-friendly pitch. Koushik led the attack with figures of 3/47 in his 10 overs, using variations effectively to trouble the batters. Krishna, though expensive with 84 runs in his quota, delivered crucial breakthroughs, including the dismissal of Vidarbha captain Nair. Shetty was instrumental with three wickets, including the prized scalps of Shorey and Dubey at critical moments. Shreyas Gopal offered control in the middle overs, conceding just 55 runs in his 10 overs despite going wicketless. Karnataka’s fielding was sharp, with key catches and a run-out ensuring that Vidarbha never gained complete momentum. Their ability to maintain composure in the death overs sealed a memorable title win.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Congratulations to Karnataka for crowning the #VijayHazareTrophy champions. With 5 finals and 5 titles, they have set a benchmark of excellence in Indian cricket. A deserved win, beating Vidarbha by 36 runs. Proud of their relentless spirit and dedication! pic.twitter.com/9nbsrZcXMe
— PC Mohan (@PCMohanMP) January 18, 2025
Champions again!
𝗞𝗮𝗮𝗮𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗮 #VijayHazareTrophy and become champion for the 5th time! 
Kudos to the great team, and congratulations Karnataka 🎉 pic.twitter.com/Sb1vDTWI4u
— DK Suresh (@DKSureshINC) January 18, 2025
How exciting #VijayHazare end. Amazing batting by Smaran Ravichandran. Also, great batting performance by Harsh Dubey in Vidarbha, almost 😅 gave a heart in the end. Great record for Karnataka 5/5 VH trophy final win. #KarnatakavsVidarbha pic.twitter.com/ugy6N5riMy
— Rohit KVN | Rohit KVN (@kvnrohit) January 18, 2025
Victory for Vijay Hazare in Karnataka! 🏆
The winning moment as Karnataka grabbed the #VijayHazareTrophy for the 5️⃣ time! 🤩
Congratulations to Devdutt Padikkal and Team Karnataka on this proud achievement! 👏#PlayBold #AtongRCB
pic.twitter.com/8iXpiKtYEh– Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) January 18, 2025
A journey of spinning to win! 🌪️
Congrats, Shreyas on winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy! 👏🏻🥳 #WhistlePodu #VijayHazareTrophy pic.twitter.com/NDOyXdw9ce– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 18, 2025
Congratulations to Karnataka for winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy! A fantastic team effort and a well deserved win. Proud of the boys because they made us all proud. 🚩
Our Karnataka, our pride! 💙 #VijayHazareTrophy #KarnatakaCricket https://t.co/nbaambDVsV
– Robbie Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) January 18, 2025
Congratulations, Team Karnataka! Another Vijay Hazare Trophy for Karnataka. Well done, guys! #Karnataka #VijayHazareTrophy
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) January 18, 2025
Congratulations to our power-hitter Abhinav and team Karnataka 👏#PlayWithFire | #VijayHazareTrophy pic.twitter.com/NddztVs2wV
– SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) January 18, 2025
Vijay Hazare Trophy Champions again! 🟡🔴🏆
Heartiest congratulations to the Karnataka Cricket Team!👏#WeAreBFC #blueforever #VijayHazareTrophy #KSCA #VHT2025
Image credits: @mayankcricket pic.twitter.com/RkfD88gFv9
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) January 19, 2025
Champion feeling 😍😍 #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/PW8Q73nIDX
— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) January 18, 2025
