Vijay Hazare QF: Hitman alert in star-studded knockouts

India internationals Rohit Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ambati Rayudu will look to get into the groove for their respective state teams ahead of the ODIs against Windies.

Published : Oct 13, 2018 18:58 IST , Bengaluru

Rohit Sharma of Mumbai and Yuzvendra Chahal of Haryana at a training session at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma of Mumbai and Yuzvendra Chahal of Haryana at a training session at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
lightbox-info

Rohit Sharma of Mumbai and Yuzvendra Chahal of Haryana at a training session at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

 

The absence of star player M.S. Dhoni takes some sheen away from the knockout rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which commences here on Sunday.

With the ODI series against West Indies set to start in a week, Dhoni could have opted for some match-practice by turning out for Jharkhand.

On the sidelines of a training session at KSCA on Saturday, Jharkhand coach Rajiv Kumar explained why Dhoni gave it a miss. “Dhoni will not play for us in this tournament. He feels that it will not be fair for him to join us at this stage, given that the team has done so well and reached the quarterfinal stage in his absence. He does not want to upset the team balance. If he can find the time, Dhoni might come to the venue to cheer the team.”

READ| Sikkim may rope in guest players for Ranji Trophy

Youngster Ishan Kishan will continue to lead Jharkhand, which takes on Maharashtra on Monday. On Sunday, a strong Mumbai starts as firm favourite over Plate group topper Bihar, while Delhi faces Haryana.

Andhra tackles Hyderabad in the fourth quarterfinal.

The likes of Rohit Sharma (Mumbai), Yuzvendra Chahal (Haryana) and Ambati Rayudu (Hyderabad) will look to use these fixtures to get into the groove ahead of the West Indies one-dayers. While batsmen Rohit and Rayudu will make their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy appearances of the season, leg-spinner Chahal has turned out for his state in three group stage matches at Chennai.

Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir has been in good form in this tournament, recording 386 runs at an average of just over 55. Bihar’s Babul Kumar, who has scored two fifties and two hundreds, is the leading run-scorer among the knockout sides. Mumbai’s top-order, which includes Rohit and the in-form Shreyas Iyer, bears a formidable look.

On the bowling front, Jharkhand’s left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (21 wickets) stands as the second-highest wicket-taker, one behind Tamil Nadu’s Varun Chakravathi. Nadeem grabbed the spotlight when he recorded the best-ever List A figures, with an eight for 10 haul against Rajasthan last month. Nadeem missed his team’s practice session on Saturday, as he has travelled home to be with his pregnant wife. He will be back in time for Jharkhand’s match on Monday.

Sunday’s matches (Quarterfinals, 9 am start): Mumbai vs Bihar (Just Cricket ground), Delhi vs Haryana (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium)

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment