Defending champions Karnataka clinicaly dismantled a star-deprived Mumbai on Monday, securing a 55-run victory via the VJD method to march into the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.
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On a murky, overcast day at the BCCI Centre of Excellence , the "Golden Boy" of the tournament, Devdutt Padikkal, continued his relentless run-scoring form.
Chasing a target of 255, Karnataka faced an early stutter when captain Mayank Agarwal fell cheaply to Mohit Avasthi. However, the early breakthrough was the only joy for Mumbai.
Devdutt Padikkal (81* off 95 balls) and Karun Nair (74* off 80 balls) took charge, executing a masterclass in risk-free accumulation. Padikkal, who crossed the 700-run mark for the tournament during this innings, survived two dropped catches but otherwise looked untroubled, finding the fence 11 times. Nair, returning to his best form, matched his partner boundary-for-boundary with elegant back-foot drives.
By the time the players were forced off due to deteriorating light, Karnataka sat comfortably at 187/1 after 33 overs; 55 runs ahead of the VJD par score of 132.
Earlier, a heavily depleted Mumbai; missing Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Shivam Dube to international duty; was sent in to bat. Their woes intensified on the eve of the match when leading run-scorer Sarfaraz Khan was ruled out with a net injury.
Karnataka’s four-pronged seam attack, led by Vidyadhar Patil and Vidwath Kaverappa, exploited the corridor of uncertainty in the chilly morning conditions. Mumbai collapsed to 60/4 by the 18th over, with Patil removing both Ishan Mulchandani and the dangerous Musheer Khan.
Shams Mulani produced a familiar rescue act, scoring a gritty 86 off 91 balls. Alongside captain Siddhesh Lad (38), Mulani navigated the middle overs to give the visitors a respectable total. A late-order cameo from Sairaj Patil (33* off 25 balls) propelled Mumbai to 254/8, but it ultimately proved insufficient against Karnataka's batting depth.
Karnataka’s victory was built on domestic stability. While Mumbai’s squad was hollowed out by India call-ups and injuries, Karnataka’s core of Padikkal, and Nair, and a disciplined pace battery, showed why they remain the team to beat. Padikkal’s ability to play the long innings has been the cornerstone of their campaign, and his current tally of over 700 runs makes him the primary threat for the upcoming semifinal.
