Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24: Tanmay Agarwal shines as Hyderabad defeats Vidarbha by 30 runs

Set a target of 287 in 50 overs, Hyderabad accumulated 159 runs in 29 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Tanmay Agarwal and Rahul Singh, before bad light stopped play.

Hyderabad’s Tanmay Agarwal scored a run-a-ball 77 against Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Anish Pathiyil/Sportstar

Karun Nair’s well-constructed century went in vain as Vidarbha lost to Hyderabad by 30 runs (VJD method) at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Sunday.

Set a target of 287 in 50 overs, Hyderabad accumulated 159 runs in 29 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Tanmay Agarwal (77,77b, 7x4, 2x6) and Rahul Singh (62, 80b, 4x4, 2x6), before bad light stopped play. 

Rohit Rayudu was the only wicket to fall, edging a short-of-a-length delivery from Umesh Yadav to Karun at slip in the seventh over. 

Opener Tanmay and skipper Rahul built a steady 126-run partnership off 135 balls after the wicket to take the team to a comfortable position before the light deteriorated.

After a delay of over an hour, with the light not improving at the venue, the match was called off with Hyderabad securing its third win of the tournament.

Earlier in the day, after being put into bat, openers Dhruv Shorey (83, 99b, 7x4) and Atharva Taide (44, 54b, 7x4) gave Vidarbha a solid start. Shorey, in particular, got off the blocks quickly, picking up three boundaries of Rakshan Readdi’s over. 

With some swing on offer, the Hyderabad bowlers adjusted their lines and lengths to pull things back, but the duo found the gaps regularly to put on a 91-run stand. 

Rayudu picked the first wicket of the innings, finding Taide’s leading edge, which was safely pouched at point, following which the four-man spin attack kept things tight through the middle overs.

After Aman Mokhade was castled by Tanay Thyagarajan for five, Shorey found a companion in Karun (102, 98b, 8x4, 2x6), the two rotating strike regularly to forge an 89-run partnership. 

Shorey missed out on a second consecutive hundred when he was stumped, stepping down against left-arm spinner Nitin Sai Yadav. Nitin picked his second wicket soon after, accepting an easy return catch from Akshay Wadkar. 

Wickets kept tumbling at one end as Vidarbha looked for a late flourish to the innings. Karun batted on, finding a few boundaries at the end and completing his century as the team finished on 286 for eight.