Putting on a brilliant display of his batting skills at the BCCI Center of Excellence, Aman Mokhade A spectacular run-chase was organized on Wednesday (January 15, 2026), led by Vidarbha Easy six-wicket victory over defending champion Karnataka. This win propels Vidarbha to win the title for the second consecutive time Vijay Hazare Trophy In the final, Karnataka’s hopes of retaining their title in their own backyard were dashed. While Mokhade was the undisputed star with the bat and fast bowler. Darshan Nalkande Laid the foundation with a lethal five wickets.
Aman Mokhade continues his dream performance in the tournament
Chasing a challenging target of 281 in a high-pressure semi-final, Vidarbha needed someone to step up, especially after losing the opener Atharva Tayde Quick. Enter Mokhade. Continuing his dream run in the 2025-26 season, Mokhade played a match-winning inning of 138 runs off just 122 balls. His innings, studded with 12 crisp fours and two sky-scraping sixes, was a perfect blend of caution and aggression. He paced his innings beautifully, ensuring that the required run rate never went out of control.
The century marked Mokhade’s fifth century of the tournament, a staggering feat that took him to the top of the season’s run-scoring charts with 781 runs. His ability to perform well in the knockout games against Karnataka’s powerful attack highlighted his growing stature in the domestic circuit.
While Mokhade was the cornerstone in the chase, he received vital support from his teammates. After stabilizing the innings with Dhruv Shourie (47), Mokhade found an able ally in Ravikumar Samarth.
Both of them frustrated the Karnataka bowlers and effectively won the match by making a decisive partnership of 147 runs. Samarth played an excellent second innings, rotating the strike and hitting boundaries when needed, ultimately remaining unbeaten on 76. Vidarbha comfortably crossed the finish line in 46.2 overs with six wickets remaining.
Also read: Dhruv Jurel achieved the highest List A score of his career in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match.
Darshan Nalkande’s brilliant bowling derailed Karnataka
Earlier in the day, Karnataka looked set to post a total of over 300 when they were invited to bat. Experienced Campaigner Karun Nair (76) And KL Srijit (54) put together a solid partnership, setting a strong platform for the hosts. However, Vidarbha fast bowler Nalkande had other plans. Bringing his A-game to the semi-finals, Nalkande began a dramatic collapse in the middle and death overs. His disciplined line and length, coupled with clever variations, proved too much for Karnataka’s middle order.
Nalkande performed brilliantly with 5 wickets for 48 runs and restricted Karnataka to 280 runs from a comfortable position. His spell was crucial in keeping the target within achievable limits for Vidarbha’s batsmen.
This victory is a big statement from Vidarbha. Beating defending champions Karnataka on their home ground in Bengaluru proves Vidarbha’s consistency and hunger for silverware. After securing their place in the second consecutive Vijay Hazare Trophy final, Vidarbha will now await the winner of the second semi-final Punjab And SaurashtraKeen to go one step further than last year and lift the coveted trophy.