The 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy has been a batter's dream, with 119 centuries and multiple records shattered. Stalwarts returned and new talents emerged, with defending champions Karnataka and Vidarbha headlining the quarterfinalists.
The ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) season has been one for the history books, be it for the highly anticipated return of Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after years, the merciless annihilation of bowlers or batters establishing new standards of 50-over batting in an attempt to gain entry into a hard-to-break Indian ODI setup. With 119 centuries scored already and several records shattered, this edition of VHT has been a dream batters would not like to wake up from.
After weeks of entertaining action, mostly at the expense of bowlers, defending champions Karnataka and last year's finalists Vidarbha headline the eight quarterfinalists of the 2025/26 season.
Karnataka
Devdutt Padikkal:
With a List-A average of 82 in 39 matches and 13 centuries/fifties each, one marvels at the fact that this elegant left-hander is not even in conversation for the ODIs. This season, Padikkal has made sure that people hear out his name. He has forced several cricketing experts to talk about him with his weight of runs, topping the run charts with 640 runs in seven matches at an average of 91.42, with four centuries and a fifty at a strike rate of over 102. He is the only batsman to have achieved three different VHT seasons with 600+ runs. With all of his 13 List A tons coming in VHT, it would not be a surprise if DDP equals Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ankit Bawne's joint record of 15 VHT tons.
Abhinav Manohar:
Left unsold in the IPL 2026 auction after a poor stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last year, this hard striker of the cricket ball is making his chances count in state franchise cricket and VHT. After a solid KSCA Maharaja Trophy season for finalists Hubli Tigers with 284 runs in 11 matches, he has blasted 227 runs in six innings at an average of 113.50, a strike rate of almost 161 and two half-centuries. His most cherished contribution this season is a 56* in 32 balls against Jharkhand to carry out a successful chase of 413, the second-highest in List A cricket history.
Vidarbha:
Aman Mokhade:
After glimpses of brilliance in a 283-run debut season back in 2023, the 24-year-old right-hander has chosen to deal in centuries this time around. In seven matches so far, Mokhade has made 637 runs, just four shy of overtaking Padikkal, at a much higher average of 106.16 and a strike rate of around 112. Four centuries and fifty have come out of his bat, with a best score of 150*. And these are no stat-padding centuries made against weaker attacks, but against solid Bengal, J&K, Baroda and UP attacks boasting of stars like Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Shahbaz Ahmed, Aquib Nabi, Yudhvir Charak, the Hardik-Krunal Pandya brothers, Zeeshan Ansari, Kuldeep Yadav and Kartik Tyagi, who have all either plied their trade in Indian colours or have had considerable IPL/domestic success and experience.
Dhruv Shorey:
The 33-year-old veteran, once associated with Delhi, built his reputation as Vidarbha's clutch man ever since joining them in 2023. Having smashed centuries against Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka in all knockout matches of the previous VHT edition, Shorey started the off-season strongly with tons against Bengal and Hyderabad, levelling N Jagadeesan's record for the joint-most-successive List A tons, five each. With 494 runs in the 2024/25 runners-up VHT season, including three centuries, and 525 runs in five matches in the ongoing Ranji Trophy title defence, Shorey's presence has been instrumental in Vidarbha's success in 2020s. With 419 runs in seven matches so far at an average of 83.60, with two centuries and a fifty each, a Shorey knockout masterclass could just be lurking around, and it's a warning for his opponents.
Mumbai
Sarfaraz Khan:
For long, Sarfaraz struggled to pass the eye test needed to get a Test cap for India despite his Everest-like accumulation of runs. After some promising test knocks, he was discarded following India's humiliating loss to New Zealand last year by 0-3, their first Test series defeat in 12 years, despite the fact he made a promising 150 at Bengaluru, where India was skittled out for just 46 in the first innings. Now, having slimmed down and made major improvements in his fitness, Sarfaraz is looking absolutely relentless in his attempt to break into India's white-ball environment, where the competition remains harder than ever, especially with icons Rohit and Virat showing no signs of stopping in their late 30s. Having been bought by Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the five-time IPL champions, for Rs 75 lakh, the best he can get is a permanent slot in the Yellow Army, and with 303 runs in five innings at an average of 75.75, a strike rate of over 190, a century and two fifties, he is coming for that Yellow cap and a chance to share the field with icon MS Dhoni. This also includes a 15-ball fifty against Punjab, the fastest in List A cricket by an Indian, and a 75-ball 157 against Goa.
Musheer Khan:
The U19 World Cup 2024 finalist is playing a solid catch-up game with elder brother Sarfaraz and carving his own identity as a useful middle-order batter with a solid left-arm spin. In his debut season, he has scored 236 runs in six innings at an average of 47.20 and a strike rate of over 104, with three fifties to his name. His spin has also fetched him 10 wickets at an average of almost 32, with a three-fer against Punjab that left them a run short of a victory.
Delhi
Priyansh Arya:
Delhi aims to break a VHT title drought of 12 years, and this left-handed batter, who had a breakout IPL season with finalists Punjab Kings (PBKS), seems to be a player equipped with the right tools, skillset and composure for it. Having shared the field with the learning tree, Virat Kohli, Priyansh has been Delhi's top run-getter with 316 runs in seven matches at an average of 52.66, a strike rate of over 165 and four fifties. His best score is 80.
Prince Yadav:
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) retained him for the 2026 IPL, and this right-arm quick has shown exactly why, with 17 scalps in seven matches at an average of 18.00, with best figures of 3/28. He is Delhi's top act with the ball this season, having outdone international stars like Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini.
Uttar Pradesh
Dhruv Jurel:
The Agra-born wicketkeeper-batter spent the majority of 2025 plundering runs in red-ball cricket to show that he deserved a specialist batter spot in Tests. Now, he has thrown out his name as a backup option in ODIs too. Jurel is UP's top run-getter and overall fourth this season, with 558 runs in seven matches at an average of 93.00, a strike rate of 122.90, with two centuries and four fifties. His 160* against a potent Baroda attack consisting of Rasikh Salam, Krunal, Raj Limbani and Atith Seth is UP's highest List-A score by a batter for UP. Currently, Jurel's List-A average stands at 74.70, with two centuries and six fifties in 17 matches.
Zeeshan Ansari:
The UP legspinner is making it really hard for SRH to imagine a bowling attack without him, despite having options like Harsh Dubey and Liam Livingstone as some prominent spinners who can also bat. He is so far the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing VHT with 21 wickets at an average of 14.33, with two four-fers and four three-fers to his name.
Punjab
Anmolpreet Singh:
Punjab is one entertaining batting unit to watch, with stars like Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, and Ramandeep Singh bringing the merciless T20 flavour to the 50-over format. However, on the other side, such an approach also makes them a feast-or-famine unit. Anmolpreet has held this unit together as its top run-getter with 357 runs in six innings at an average of 71.40, with a century and three fifties to his name and a best score of 105* against Chhattisgarh.
Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa:
In a VHT season bowlers are already praying that it gets over because of them being reduced to robotic bowling machines. Pacer Sukhdeep has been a hope for Punjab, having taken 12 wickets in seven games at an average of 17.41, with his best figures being 4/17.
Saurashtra
Chirag Jani:
The 2022-23 champions are still in the hunt and they have this all-rounder to thank. In seven matches, he has scored 268 runs at an average of over 38, SR of above 108 with two fifties, and has also scalped nine wickets at an average of 28.22. The 36-year-old seasoned veteran is due for a massive score or spell in the knockouts.
Ankur Pawar:
The right-arm medium pacer gave Saurashtra the entry into knockouts with his clutch spells in the second half of the league stage. After a shaky start with just one win in three matches, Ankur's fifer against Andhra Pradesh and 3/49 against Railways revitalised their chances, giving them four straight wins to earn a playoff berth. 10 of his 17 wickets came during these four matches, and his overall bowling average in this tournament is a shade below 20.
Madhya Pradesh
Yash Dubey:
MP has never won a VHT title, and this right-handed batter with a List A average of just below 52 has given his team a shot at 50-over glory with 390 runs in seven matches at an average of over 55, including two centuries and a fifty.
Kumar Kartikeya:
The MP spinner has been his side's wicket-taker, with 13 scalps at an average of over 27 in seven matches and the 28-year-old's past six-seven years of List An experience will come in handy. (ANI)
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