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With a 128-ball 180, Deepak Hooda spearheaded an
incredible comeback that saw Rajasthan defeat Karnataka by six wickets in
Rajkot and go to their first Vijay Hazare Trophy final in sixteen years.
Hooda set up a career-best List A score of 255 runs
with Karan Lamba during their fourth wicket stand, which left Rajasthan at 23
for 3, needing to chase 283 runs.
In the sixth over, Karnataka lost captain Mayank
Agarwal for thirteen runs. In the ninth over, he was the second to go, out for
8 off 21 balls with his starting partner R Samarth. After a 46-run partnership
between Nikin Jose and Krishnan Shrijith, left-arm spinner Ajay Singh struck to
remove the former from the game. Rahul Chahar sent Shrijith back shortly after
for 21, putting Karnataka at 87 for 4.
At number six, Abhinav Manohar gave Karnataka’s
innings new life with an 80-ball 91, partnering with Manish Pandey for an
89-run partnership and Manoj Bhandage for a 95-run partnership. During his
visit, he scored three sixes and ten fours, bringing Karnataka’s total to 282.
He finished with his highest List A score after tripping over the final ball of
the inning.
With the new ball, Karnataka was dealt a blow as
Rajasthan lost both of their openers for ducks in 1.2 overs, V Koushik and
Vijaykumar Vyshak. In his 17-ball stay, Mahipal Lomror hit three fours, but
Bhandage quickly dismissed him. Then Lamba and Hooda met at the crease.
Hooda took a while to become comfortable, hitting his
maiden boundary off the twenty-fourth ball he faced. The pair reached their
50-run stand in 62 balls as they quickly began to find the boundaries and pile
on the runs. In the 22nd over, they took the total past 100, but Rajasthan was
still behind the needed run rate.
In that over, Hooda reached his half-century mark off
53 balls with a six. From that point on, he dealt only fours and sixes, needing
just 32 balls to reach his century. In the thirty-first over, he brought up his
tonne with a boundary.
In the subsequent over, Lamba reached his half-century
with 76 balls. The pair by then had brought the equation down to 102 off 19
overs.
Following his century, Hooda plundered seven fours and
three sixes to get to 180 before K Gowtham ended his stay in the 42nd over,
with Rajasthan needing just five to win the game. Lamba sealed the win in the
same over, hitting a four to finish on 73 as Karnataka fell short.