Atharva Taide ton helps Vidarbha clinch Vijay Hazare Trophy

Vidarbha clinched their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title with a commanding 38-run victory over Saurashtra in a high-scoring final at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Atharva Taide's magnificent 128 and a disciplined bowling performance, led by Yash Thakur's four-wicket haul, helped them overcome the heartbreak of last year's final loss to Karnataka.

After being asked to bat first, Vidarbha posted 317 for 8, built around Taide's 118-ball knock. The opener, who had passed 50 three times in this tournament without a century, finally broke through in the most important clash.

Taide was watchful early, taking 66 deliveries to reach his half-century. The breakthrough for Saurashtra came when the tournament's leading run-scorer, Aman Mokhade, chopped on for 33 after adding 80 runs with Taide.

Taide found an able ally in Yash Rathod, who played a crucial cameo of 54 off 48 balls. The pair injected momentum, with Taide unleashing a series of boundaries, including two towering sixes. The left-hander was eventually dismissed in the 36th over for 128, having smashed 15 fours and three sixes to set up a big score. Saurashtra pulled things back in the death overs, with Chetan Sakariya particularly impressive, finishing with 2 for 45.

Chasing 318, Saurashtra suffered early blows as both openers fell within the first 10 overs. Nachiket Bhute had Harvik Desai caught for 20, while Yash Thakur dismissed the in-form Vishvaraj Jadeja for just 9.

Prerak Mankad and Sammar Gajjar attempted to rebuild, but the required rate climbed. Darshan Nalkande broke the partnership by removing Gajjar, and when Parswaraj Rana struggled to 7 off 20 balls, Saurashtra found themselves in trouble at 112 for 4 in 23 overs.

Mankad found support from Chirag Jani as the duo added 93 runs for the fifth wicket, keeping hopes alive. Jani compiled a fighting 64 off 63 deliveries. With 127 needed off the last 15 overs and six wickets in hand, the chase seemed manageable. But captain Harsh Dubey produced the crucial breakthrough, trapping Mankad LBW for 88 with a quicker delivery. The dismissal opened the floodgates. Nalkande then delivered the knockout blow with a brilliant slower ball that forced Jani to spoon a catch to long-off.

From there, the wheels came off completely. Yash Thakur mopped up the tail with clinical precision, finishing with figures of 4 for 50, while Bhute claimed 3 for 46.

Despite the pressure of dew in the second innings, Vidarbha's bowlers executed their plans perfectly. Their ability to take wickets at regular intervals never allowed Saurashtra to build the required momentum, culminating in a historic triumph.

Brief scores:
Vidarbha 317/8 in 50 overs (Atharva Taide 128, Yash Rathod 54; Ankur Panwar 4-65) beat Saurashtra 279 in 48.5 overs (Prerak Mankad 88, Chirag Jani 64; Yash Thakur 4-50, Nachiket Bhute 3-46) by 38 runs.