Haryana crowns Maiden Vijay Hazare in exciting final

Menaria’s partnership with opener Ankit Kumar, who scored a fluent 88, set the stage for Haryana’s challenging total.

Rajkot: Haryana won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 in a pulsating final on Saturday after beating Rajasthan by 30 runs at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium here.

The gripping encounter featured a remarkable century from Rajasthan opener Abhijeet Tomar, who fought valiantly against a formidable Haryana bowling attack but ultimately fell short in a challenging chase.

Rajasthan looked to be in control, needing 76 runs from the last 10 overs with five wickets in hand. However, a path-breaking performance from Haryana’s Harshal Patel turned the tide. Patel’s crucial wickets of Kunal Singh Rathore and the great Ajay Singh, along with the disciplined bowling of Rahul Tewatia and Anshul Kamboj, turned the momentum in Haryana’s favour. Rajasthan, who were initially cruising, suddenly panicked and collapsed, falling 30 runs short of Haryana’s total of 287 for 8.

Ashok Menaria, in his first season with Haryana, played a crucial role in both lifting the trophy and anchoring the innings. Menaria’s partnership with opener Ankit Kumar, who scored a fluent 88, set the stage for Haryana’s challenging total. Despite Menaria’s departure after a well-constructed innings, late contributions from Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia and Sumit Kumar showcased Haryana’s batting depth.

Aniket Choudhary, Rajasthan’s standout bowler throughout the tournament, impressed again with figures of 4 for 49. His early swing and consistent lengths provided a challenge for Haryana’s batsmen. Sumit Kumar, who had earlier contributed with the bat, continued his fairytale evening by dismissing key Rajasthan batsmen including the dangerous Deepak Hooda.

Rajasthan’s innings suffered early setbacks at 12 for 3, but Abhijeet Tomar’s resilient century and contributions from Karan Lamb and Kunal Singh Rathore kept them in the match. The strategy of taking the match deep almost threw Haryana into turmoil but experienced bowlers like Harshal Patel and Rahul Tewatia rose to the occasion and sealed the win for Haryana.

For Ashok Menaria, the triumph had added significance as he secured the title against the team he had represented with distinction for over a decade, adding a fitting chapter to his illustrious career. Ultimately, despite being so close, Rajasthan felt the sadness of falling just short in the thrilling final.